


His Perfect Partner

by fountainofthought



Series: His Perfect Partner [1]
Category: Dancing with the Stars (US) RPF, Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-27
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-13 10:49:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 104,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2147934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fountainofthought/pseuds/fountainofthought
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After five disappointing seasons on Dancing with the Stars, professional dancer Kurt Hummel finally has his chance at ballroom glory.  With actress and fan favorite Kim Schrodinger as his partner, Kurt vows to channel all his focus into winning that mirrorball trophy - distractions, including men, be damned.  Enter Blaine Anderson, a gorgeous, confusing pop star who may turn out to be the biggest distraction of them all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I began this story almost two and a half years ago, but now in honor of finally (finally!) completing the epilogue, I've decided to post it here in its entirety. I hope it will provide some entertainment during this long hiatus and serve as a fun throwback to earlier days in the fandom. I certainly enjoyed writing it (even if it took me forever)!
> 
> Immeasurable thanks to Les (moreorlesme) and Em (wintercreek) for being my guiding lights and voices of squee and reason, as needed, on this one. You two are the best! Thanks also to those of you who have stuck with me and been far too patient. You're all lovely, and I'm humbled to be able to share my words with you.

 

 

“Well?” Mike asked, as he and Tina sat down across from Kurt at their usual table in the L.A. Bean. 

 

 

“Brit’s not here yet.  We should wait for her,” Kurt said.  “How’s the studio?”

 

 

“Great,” Tina said, taking a sip of her latte.  “We have some really promising new students, and I haven’t had to kick any aging socialites out of class for ogling my husband yet, so that’s a bonus.”

 

 

“You know I have a strict anti-ogling policy, love,” Mike said, smiling as he took her hand. 

 

 

“Oh I don’t worry about you,” Tina said.  “But I’m keeping an eye on that one woman in the Thursday class.  She’s entirely too fond of watching you demonstrate the proper samba bounce, if you get my meaning.”

 

 

“Tina, if you had a dollar for every woman who likes to watch Mike shake his ass, you’d be able to buy my entire fall wardrobe and have money left over,” Kurt said.

 

 

“True,” Tina said, grinning.  “After all, he has a great ass.  I should know.”

 

 

“Uh, thanks?” Mike said, covering his face with one hand as Tina leaned into him laughing.

 

 

“You’re welcome, darling,” she said.  She and Kurt were both still giggling when Kurt found himself with a lapful of leggy blonde.

 

 

“Hi guys!” Brittany said brightly, turning in Kurt’s lap so she could steal a sip of his coffee.  “Did I miss anything?”

 

 

“Nope.  We haven’t started yet,” Mike said.

 

 

“Brit-Brit, can you sit in your own seat?  I’m going to need my legs if I’m going to survive this season,” Kurt said.

 

 

“So you’re in for sure?” Tina said.  Kurt nodded.  “Us too!”

 

 

“Me three!  Er…four?” Brittany said, looking around the table.  Kurt held up four fingers.  “Me four!”

 

 

“Thank god,” Kurt said.  “I’m going to need all of you to keep me sane.  Between Rachel and her ‘helpful music suggestions’ and the return of Bitsy the hyperactive chipmunk, this season is already giving me a headache.”

 

 

“I like chipmunks,” Brittany said.  “I didn’t know they could dance.”

 

 

“Wonders never cease,” Kurt said, handing Brittany a spoon so she could scoop out the rest of his whipped cream.  “Case in point: Bitsy and her block of wood partner managed to make it to Week Four last season.”

 

 

“You know Elizabeth hates being called Bitsy,” Tina said conversationally. 

 

 

“And I hate that girls in LA seem to think that yoga pants are appropriate attire outside the yoga studio.  There are some things we just have to live with,” Kurt said. 

 

 

“So, we meet our partners next week.”  Mike, ever the peacemaker, attempted to change the subject.

 

 

“Yep.  Which means we have seven weeks until the premiere,” Tina said.  “I need to start thinking about choreography.”

 

 

“I need to take up prayer or animal sacrifice or something,” Kurt said.  “I cannot deal with yet another season of coming in sixth, or ninth, or last.”

 

 

“It’s not your fault, man,” Mike said.  “They’ve saddled you with some doozies.  You deserve a good partner for once.”

 

 

“You’re sweet,” Kurt said.  “I swear the producers have it in for me.  ‘Oh, a 50-year-old has-been with an anger problem? Give her to the token gay!’”

 

 

“You know you’re good with them, though,” Tina said.  “Your partners all end up loving you, which is more than most of us can say.”

 

 

“Says the girl who has two shiny mirrorball trophies at home.  I’ll take those over being liked any day,” Kurt said, stealing his drink back from Brittany before she could finish it off.  “This will be my sixth season, and the best I’ve ever done is come in fifth.”

 

 

“I came in fifth at the Little Miss California pageant when I was seven,” Brittany said.  “I dressed up as Abraham Lincoln and recited the Gettysburg Address.”

 

 

“Of course you did, Brit,” Kurt said, a smile replacing his frown as he imagined a tiny Brit with a beard and top hat.  “I bet you were adorable.” 

 

 

“The judges said I was historically significant but visually disturbing,” Brittany said, sliding out of the booth.  “I’m going to get a smoothie.  Does anyone want anything?”

 

 

The three of them still at the table all shook their heads, trying not to laugh.  They loved Brit, they really did, but sometimes she said the damnedest things.

 

 

***

 

 

The following Wednesday morning, on what was shaping up to be another sultry August day, Kurt and a camera crew drove into the hills to a massive estate that belonged to his new partner.  Kurt had been thrilled when the producers told him her name.  Kim Schrodinger was an actress in her mid-30s, most famous for the sitcom she’d starred in for six years in her 20s.  She was married to a musician now, had two kids – a boy and a girl – and a busy professional life guest starring on and producing tv shows.  She was well-known, well-respected, and most importantly well-loved.  Even if she had no dance experience at all, her legions of fans would vote to keep her on the show until Kurt could whip her into shape.  He knew even without meeting her that she would be his best shot at the trophy.  He hoped she was up to the challenge.

 

 

Kurt sat in the back of the studio car while the camera crew went in to set up.  He used the downtime wisely, running through a mental list of techniques to try and questions to ask once they got the official meet and greet out of the way.  They would be starting with the cha cha, a fun dance that would let Kim show off her personality.  Kurt had already been through the song choices, selecting three that he thought might work.  He’d run those by her today, so that he could jump right into choreography after rehearsal, once he’d seen what she could do.  He was hoping for a miracle, but he could make it work regardless.

 

 

A few minutes later, Kurt was summoned to the front door.  He took a second to straighten his vest and tie and check his hair in the mirror before knocking.  Kim opened the door after his second knock, looking pretty and trim in casual trousers and a silk top.  Kurt noted with approval that the top of her head was level with his eyeline and she probably weighed 115 pounds soaking wet.  If – no, when – they made it that far, she’d be easy to lift during the freestyle.

 

 

“Hi!” Kim said, drawing Kurt into a hug.  “Kurt, right?  I’m so excited that you’re my partner.  You’re my favorite pro.  But I bet that’s what they all say.”

 

 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Kurt said, once she released him.  He smiled at her a little dazedly, overwhelmed by how cheerful and nice she was.

 

 

“You are just as gorgeous in person as I thought you’d be,” Kim confided, looping her arm through Kurt’s as she led him through the house. 

 

 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Kurt replied, and she laughed. 

 

 

“You’re sweet.  This is going to be fun.  I should warn you, though, that my kids are here, and they want to meet you more than they want pizza for dinner every night, which is a lot.  I hope you don’t mind?”

 

 

“No, that’s fine,” Kurt said.  “I like kids.”

 

 

“Great!  Because Jake and Molly will just love you.”  Kim said, before shouting up the stairs.  “Jakesters, Moll!  Kurt’s here!  Come say hello like the perfect little angels you aspire to be.”

 

 

Two kids, the girl obviously a few years older than the boy, who looked about five, came tumbling down the stairs, trailed by a golden retriever.  They both had dark hair like their mother, though the girl’s was curly and slightly auburn, which she had to get from her dad.  Grant Monroe was as handsome as his wife was beautiful, at least from the pictures and videos Kurt had seen. 

 

 

“Hi guys.  I’m Kurt.”  Kurt crouched down to their level, amused when Molly beamed at him but Jake wouldn’t meet his eyes.  “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

 

“You too!” Molly said, flinging herself at him.  Apparently she took after her mother in the friendliness department.  Kurt hugged her back, and then set her down so he could turn to Jake.

 

 

“Hi, Jake.”

 

 

“Hi,” Jake said, glancing up at Kurt from beneath his lashes and curling his fingers in the dog’s fur.

 

 

“I like your dog.  What’s its name?”

 

 

“Bandit.”

 

 

“That’s a great name.  I bet you’re a really good friend to Bandit,” Kurt said, reaching out to pet Bandit’s head.

 

 

“Uh huh,” Jake said, finally looking up.  “He sleeps on my bed and I take him for walks and give him treats.”

 

 

“He must love you an awful lot, then,” Kurt said.  He gave Bandit a last pat and squeezed Jake’s shoulder before standing up.  Jake smiled at him and nodded.

 

 

“Ok, squirts,” Kim said.  “Kurt and I have to get to work, so you two go play.  Daddy will be home for lunch so we can all eat together.”

 

 

“Can Kurt stay for lunch?” Molly asked.

 

 

“I don’t know,” Kim said, looking at him.  “Can Kurt stay for lunch?”

 

 

“Sure.  That would be great,” Kurt said.

 

 

“Yay!”  Molly squeezed him once more around the waist before grabbing her brother’s hand and pulling him outside behind her.

 

 

“And that,” Kim said, turning them in the direction of a big, open room that would serve as their rehearsal space, “is how you make fans for life.”

  

 ***

 

 

Their first few hours of rehearsal went as well as Kurt could have hoped.  Kim was easy-going, followed instructions well, and moved naturally.  She’d danced as a kid, but had never done ballroom before.  She didn’t have any terrible habits he would have to break, and she seemed willing and able to try things until she got them right.  They’d laughed more on the first day than Kurt had with his previous partner in eight weeks.  As far as signs went, he thought that was a fabulous one.

 

 

“She’s awesome, Cedes,” Kurt told his best friend later that night over tacos and tequila at their favorite Mexican place.  “She’s easy to work with and she has talent.  I’m in heaven.”

 

 

“You deserve it, K,” Mercedes said.  “Especially after the year you’ve had.”

 

 

“I know.  Last season was a killer.”

 

 

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.  But add last season to your dad’s health and that nothing of a boyfriend you finally dumped, and you more than deserve the best partner available,” Mercedes said, and Kurt sighed.

 

 

“I know, I know.  I just prefer not to think about all that stress and unpleasantness.  Dad’s fine, and Mitch is so far in the past I hardly think about him now.”

 

 

“Mmhm,” Mercedes said, hardly sounding convinced. 

 

 

“I mean it,” Kurt said, stabbing his salad with his fork.  Things with Mitchell had ended for good three months ago, at the end of the previous season, and Kurt had worked hard over the summer to get all the way over him.  “I’m ready to look forward and kick ass this season.”

 

 

“So no pining?”

 

 

“No.  No dating either, I think.  I can use a break.”

 

 

“Seriously?” Mercedes put down her taco and stared at him.  “You, Kurt Hummel, serial dater, are going to take a break from boys?”

 

 

“Shut up.  I’m already on a break, if you haven’t noticed.  Besides, it’ll be good for me.  I can focus on winning for once.”

 

 

“Sure, K.  And I’ll focus on making sure your hair is fabulous.”

 

 

“My hair is always fabulous,” Kurt said.

 

 

“I know, K,” Mercedes said, smiling.  “You’re my favorite boy.”

 

 

“And you’re my very best girl.”  Kurt grinned back at her, and then lifted his shot glass for a toast.  “To us – single, fabulous, and taking LA by storm.”

 

 

“To us.”  Mercedes lifted her own shot, and they both drank their glasses down.

 

 

***

 

 

A week into rehearsals with Kim, Kurt was more optimistic than ever.  They’d mostly rehearsed at her house so far, where her kids and husband could pop in to cheer them on when they needed a lift.  Kurt had agreed to teach Grant the basics at some point, so that he and Kim could dance together.  And of course both Jake and Molly were soaking everything up like little sponges.  Two days ago, Kurt had walked in to find Molly bossing Jake around the floor as they tried their hand at a basic cha cha.  Kurt had given Kim the number to Tina and Mike’s studio and suggested signing them up for a few beginner classes.

 

 

Starting that afternoon, following shooting of the title and promotional shots, Kim and Kurt would be working in Kurt’s favorite downtown studio.  Now that Kurt knew what Kim could do, it was time to get serious about choreography.  Kim had insisted that they dance to Push It, which, while potentially hilarious was also a rather inspired choice.  No one would expect it from her, and Kurt’s planned choreography combined with the song would capture everyone’s attention immediately. 

 

 

Kurt headed to the shoot early so that he could discuss his ideas for costuming with Sam Evans, the new head of wardrobe, and then get over to the hair and makeup trailer before the rush.  He wanted Mercedes to have enough time to get his hair just right and maybe indulge in a little gossip session before the new celebs started invading.

 

 

Kim met him in hair and makeup, all smiles for Mercedes, who took to her immediately.  The three of them chatted happily while Cedes worked her magic, and then Kurt and Kim headed for the main building to get their photos taken.  At the door, they ran into Elizabeth and the guy who was her new partner.  Kurt’s first thought was that he was shorter in person than he’d expected.  And then New Guy held out his hand and grinned, and Kurt forgot to think at all.

 

 

“Hi!” New Guy said, still grinning.  “You must be Kurt.  It’s so nice to meet you.”

 

 

“Hello,” Kurt managed, still blinded by the guy’s megawatt smile.  “And you are?”

 

 

“Blaine Anderson,” he said.  Kurt knew that, of course.  Everyone knew that.  Anyone who didn’t know Blaine Anderson had to have been living under a rock for the past five years.  He was everywhere – on tv, in record stores, on the radio, performing at the Grammys.  ‘Pop Sensation Blaine Anderson’ was a household name, but that didn’t mean Kurt had to play along with Bitsy’s new partner.

 

 

“Ah,” Kurt said, extracting his hand from Blaine’s grip.  “You’re Bitsy’s partner, I take it?”

 

 

“Bitsy?  You mean Elizabeth?”  Blaine looked confused.  It, like everything else, was a surprisingly good look on him.

 

 

“Of course,” Kurt said.

 

 

“Kurt likes to tease me about my height, or lack thereof,” Elizabeth said, returning to their conversation and slipping an arm through Blaine’s.

 

 

“Well I guess he’ll have to tease me too,” Blaine said, still grinning around at all of them.  “I’m not exactly a giant.”

 

 

“Nothing wrong with that,” Kim said, coming to Kurt’s rescue.  “It worked for Napoleon, right?  Well, mostly.”

 

 

She started giggling, which set off the other two, while Kurt stared at all three of them, an amused smile tugging at his lips.

 

 

“It’s wonderful to meet you both, but we have to get inside before all the hard work the hair and makeup people did goes to waste,” Kim continued, waving at Elizabeth and Blaine before turning Kurt toward the hallway.  “I’m sure we’ll see you soon!”

 

 

They walked down the hall, Kim humming quietly under her breath while Kurt put himself back together. 

 

 

“So that’s Bitsy,” he finally said.

 

 

“Uh huh,” Kim said.  “And more importantly, that’s Blaine Anderson.”

 

 

“If you say so,” Kurt said, and Kim laughed delightedly.

 

 

“Don’t even try to hide the fact that you were staring.  That is one adorable hunk of a pop star, and I don’t blame you even a little bit.”

 

 

“Kim!”

 

 

“What?  I’m not allowed to appreciate cute guys, even if I’m married and they’re gay?”

 

 

“How do you know he’s gay?”  Kurt asked.  “He’s not out.”

 

 

“Oh, please.  Have you seen what he wears?  A 20-something man that attached to bowties is not batting for my team.  Plus, you may not have noticed in your Blaine-induced haze, but he was totally checking you out.”

 

 

“He was not.”

 

 

“Oh, honey.  Denial is not a good look on you.”  

 

 

“I’m not in denial.  I’m just being practical.  Even if he is gay, which is still in question, that doesn’t mean he’s interested in me or that I’m interested in him.  And anyway, I told you I’ve sworn off dating,” Kurt said.

 

 

“Whatever you say, Kurt,” Kim said, but it was clear from her tone that the conversation was far from over.  “Now let’s go be gorgeous for the camera.”

 

 

“Please,” Kurt said, and he followed her into the studio, resolutely not thinking about brilliant smiles and boys who might be gay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pros discuss their partners, Kim and Kurt make a bet, and the boys and their partners take a field trip to New York.

 

 

The following Monday, with four weeks to go before the premiere, Kurt shouldered his way into the main DWTS studio carrying a giant platter of freshly baked scones. Maks was already there, holding court while Lacey lugged coffee carafes into place and Tina and Mike put out cups and plates.  
  
  
  
  
“Brit’s on her way,” Kurt said as he put down the scones. “She called half an hour ago to ask if she should get tomatoes for the fruit plate. I sent her to the deli with strict instructions to buy something pre-packaged.”  
  
  
  
  
“And she wonders why they only let her out in front of the press with a chaperone,” Maks said. “She can dance, but she has the most interesting grip on reality of anyone I’ve ever met.”  
  
  
  
  
“You’re one to talk,” Kurt said.  
  
  
  
  
“Oh don’t start. You know I love her to death, lunacy and all.”  
  
  
  
  
“Who wants coffee?” Lacey forced a cup into each of their hands. “Have some before I find a less pleasant way to shut you up.”  
  
  
  
  
“Good morning to you too, Lace,” Kurt said. “So nice to see your smiling face.”  
  
  
  
  
“Drink your coffee,” she said before heading back over to Mike and Tina.  
  
  
  
  
“She’s got the right idea. You can be kind of a bitch before you’ve caffeinated,” Maks told Kurt idly.  
  
  
  
  
“Whereas there’s no known cure for your personality.”  
  
  
  
  
“Children, please,” Tina said as she walked up. She popped up on her toes to kiss Kurt’s cheek and patted Maks on the knee. “I hope you’ve gotten all the crankiness out of your systems. You know how Brit hates it when you fight.”  
  
  
  
  
“Yes, ma’am,” Maks said, and Tina swatted him.  
  
  
  
  
“Is that what you say to your new partner?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
  
  
“God, no,” Maks said. “Santana likes when I bitch at her. Gives her more ammo to dish it right back.”  
  
  
  
  
“I’m still amazed that people pay you to teach them.”  
  
  
  
  
“It’s a gift,” Maks grinned, then ruffled Kurt’s hair on his way to get more coffee, which earned him an indignant squawk.  
  
  
  
  
Brittany walked in then with a tray of fruit, which stopped the boys sniping at one another, and the six of them settled into a corner of the studio with breakfast and coffee. They’d been meeting like this before the start of the past five seasons, since Kurt and Brittany joined the show. Two weeks into rehearsals was long enough for them to have an idea of how their partners would do, but not so long that they’d be giving everything away by talking about them.  
  
  
  
  
Though Kurt and Maks were regularly at each other’s throats, Kurt respected Maks’ experience and knowledge. Maks knew the dance world and Hollywood, and he was always brutally honest, which Kurt appreciated. Lacey, even after more than a dozen seasons, was still the ballroom’s wild child, pushing every boundary and trying things that made Len, their traditionalist head judge, sputter in horror. She was always good for a creative twist or the little push necessary to turn a good idea into a great one.  
  
  
  
  
Tina and Mike were the sweethearts of the ballroom, married for three years now and still as sickeningly in love as ever. Between them, they kept the unruly personalities of the pros in check and reminded all of them of what it was to love to dance. And Brittany, in her own sweet and flighty way, kept them grounded in their craft, always pushing them to work harder and be more precise. She lived in another world half the time, but she could dance circles around each and every one of them.  
  
  
  
  
“Everyone settled?” Tina asked, which drew Kurt out of his thoughts. When they all nodded, she continued. “So I’m just going to come right out and say it: Rory is a total sweetheart, but he has two very heavy, very uncoordinated left feet.”  
  
  
  
  
“How does he play soccer without a right one?” Brittany asked.  
  
  
  
  
“You know, I’m not sure,” Tina said, giggling. “I’ve seen him play, and he’s incredibly graceful on the field, but put him in dance shoes…”  
  
  
  
  
“I’m sure you’ll work your magic with him,” Mike said loyally.  
  
  
  
  
“If by ‘magic’ you mean managing to keep him on the show for more than two weeks,” Tina said.  
  
  
  
  
“Sometimes that really does take magic,” Mike said. “I may need the same thing with Lauren. She has more potential than I expected for a pro wrestler, but turning her out for a proper waltz or quickstep is going to be a feat.”  
  
  
  
  
“Not really the gown and feathers type, is she?” Maks asked, and Mike sighed.  
  
  
  
  
“At least she’s a competitor at heart. I’ll figure something out,” Mike said.  
  
  
  
  
“Don’t you always?” Maks asked. “I, on the other hand, have all the raw material I need for a championship season, so the rest of you had better look out.”  
  
  
  
  
“Color me surprised that a performer like Santana Lopez is good at performing,” Kurt said.  
  
  
  
  
“From what I’m hearing, you have no room to complain. Kim’s amazing, right?”  
  
  
  
  
“Pretty much,” Kurt admitted with a smile. “She’s my best shot so far.”  
  
  
  
  
“Strangely enough,” Lacey interjected, “I think Puck may be mine too. He’s definitely unorthodox.”  
  
  
  
  
“Which we know you love,” Tina said.  
  
  
  
  
“Of course. But he’s also taking to the technique really quickly. He’s weirdly awesome.”  
  
  
  
  
“A match made in heaven,” Kurt said. Lacey poked him in the side in retaliation. Kurt wrestled her hands away before turning to Brittany. “Hey, Brit-Brit, how’s Joe doing?”  
  
  
  
  
“He’s ok, I guess,” she said. “He can’t really keep up with me.”  
  
  
  
  
“Can anyone?” Tina asked. “Especially a model?”  
  
  
  
  
“Not usually, no,” Brittany said in all seriousness. “But we get to cha cha to Tik Tok, so I kind of don’t care.”  
  
  
  
  
“I can’t wait to see that one. No, really!” Maks said when Kurt shot him a look. “I bet Brit can take the profoundly average musical stylings of Miss Dollar Sign to unimagined heights.”  
  
  
  
  
“If anyone can, it’s our Brit,” Tina said, and Brittany beamed.  
  
  
  
  
“So listen, I’d love to sit here on my butt all day and eat more of Kurt’s unfairly delicious scones, but rehearsal waits for no dancer,” Lacey said. She got to her feet and hauled Brittany up after her. “Whose turn is it for clean up?”  
  
  
  
  
“Mine,” Tina said, kissing Mike on the cheek before he headed out. “And Kurt’s, I think.”  
  
  
  
  
“Yep,” Kurt said. He took Maks’ coffee cup and shooed him away. “Bye, kids. Try to behave yourselves while I’m gone.”  
  
  
  
  
“Oh, right. You’re flying to New York today. Good Morning America tomorrow?” Tina asked as they put things away.  
  
  
  
  
“Yes, with Kim. And Bitsy and her boytoy.”  
  
  
  
  
“You sound thrilled.”  
  
  
  
  
“Well, you know how I feel about Bitsy. And about flying. I’m not sure which one’s worse, actually,” Kurt said.  
  
  
  
  
“You’re hard on her,” Tina said.  
  
  
  
  
“And she’s hard on my sanity. Flying with her is going to be like entering the second circle of hell.”  
  
  
  
  
“So take some meds and sleep the whole way. You’ll be fine. Kim will protect you.” Tina grinned. Kurt rolled his eyes.  
  
  
  
  
“I appreciate all your sympathy and support,” he said.  
  
  
  
  
“Oh, you know I love you, you big baby.” Tina walked over and squeezed Kurt tight. “Call me or Mercedes if it gets too insane.”  
  
  
  
  
“I will.” Kurt squeezed her back. “We’d better get to rehearsal. Meet you for coffee on Thursday?”  
  
  
  
  
“You’re on.”  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
  
Kurt and Kim were already settled into their first class seats – Kurt on the aisle, of course – when Elizabeth and Blaine made their way onto the plane that afternoon. Elizabeth, who had once told Kurt that she thought flying “was the best thing ever, seriously!” claimed the window seat opposite them, leaving Blaine smiling at Kurt from a scant few feet away. Kurt gave him a wan smile and turned back to his stack of magazines.  
  
  
  
  
“You ok, Kurtsie?” Kim asked, using the nickname Molly had adopted for him within the first week of rehearsals.  
  
  
  
  
“Fine, mostly. I’m just not a big fan of flying,” Kurt murmured. He was embarrassingly grateful when she took his hand in hers.  
  
  
  
  
Across the aisle, Elizabeth was chattering inanely to Blaine, who was listening closely to her. Throughout taxi and takeoff, she kept talking while Blaine nodded and Kurt willed his hands not to shake. Once they had leveled off in the air, Kim managed to pry Kurt’s fingers off of hers and ordered them both a cocktail.  
  
  
  
  
“I probably shouldn’t have one if I’m going to drug myself for the rest of the flight,” Kurt said.  
  
  
  
  
“So, lay off the drugs and have a drink or three with me. We’ll grab dinner when we get there. I know this amazing seafood place in the West Village.”  
  
  
  
  
“Dig?” Blaine asked, leaning across his armrest and into their conversation. “I love that place.”  
  
  
  
  
“You guys should come,” Kim said, oblivious to Kurt’s discomfort. “I’ll send an email to my assistant. She can get us a reservation.”  
  
  
  
  
“That sounds great,” Blaine said, because he was obviously evil and perverse.  
  
  
  
  
“Yeah, great,” Kurt echoed faintly, flipping through Rolling Stone, which of course had a two page spread on Pop Sensation Blaine Anderson’s most recent sold-out tour.  
  
  
  
  
“Hey, do you have this month’s Vogue?” Blaine asked, leaning closer.  
  
  
  
  
“Uh, yeah, of course,” Kurt said, fumbling through the stack while Kim went to great lengths not to laugh out loud beside him. He found the magazine and held it out to Blaine.  
  
  
  
  
“Great, thanks.” Blaine took the magazine, put in his earbuds, and hummed happily to himself as he started reading.  
  
  
  
  
“Vogue?” Kim mouthed to Kurt, finally giving into her laughter.  
  
  
  
  
“Oh, shut up,” Kurt said, staring down at Blaine’s face in his magazine. “That doesn’t prove anything.”  
  
  
  
  
“Are you sure about that?” Kim said, looking over to where Blaine was absorbed in an article about men’s scarves.  
  
  
  
  
“I really don’t think I like you. Also, stereotyping is wrong.”  
  
  
  
  
“Oh, no, in this case I think you’ll find that stereotyping is right,” Kim said. She was still snickering. “Also, and I’ll say this as many times as it takes for it to sink in, every time that boy sees you he is thinking decidedly non-heterosexual thoughts.”  
  
  
  
  
“You’re delusional.” Kurt gulped down the drink the flight attendant had just handed him and glared at Kim.  
  
  
  
  
“$20 says he’s gay. Another $20 says he’s into you.”  
  
  
  
  
“You know what? Fine. You’re on.” Kurt held out his hand so they could shake on it. “And no matchmaking. I can tell you’re totally the type.”  
  
  
  
  
“I have no idea to what you could be referring,” Kim said primly, taking a sip of her drink. “Now knock that drink back and relax. We’re off duty until tomorrow, and I have a bet to win.”  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
  
By the time they landed in New York, Kurt was feeling pleasantly buzzed and giggly. He and Kim had talked about guys they thought were cute through most of the flight. Kurt had admitted that he thought her husband was unfairly gorgeous, and Kim had quipped that she thought the same was true of Kurt himself.  
  
  
  
  
Blaine and Elizabeth had kept to themselves through most of the flight, but the second they touched down, Blaine popped up, ready for dinner. Kurt insisted on changing first, though, and because she was a devious little schemer, Kim smoothly suggested that she and Elizabeth head down to the restaurant first for some ‘girl time’ while Blaine waited for Kurt. Blaine agreed a little too readily for Kurt to feel like his $40 was secure, but Kurt couldn’t figure out a graceful way out of the arrangement.  
  
  
  
  
“I like your vest,” Blaine said as they walked to the car. “Designer?”  
  
  
  
  
“Vintage,” Kurt said, now doubly suspicious. He would both hate and love it if Kim were right.  
  
  
  
  
“So I don’t know how you do it,” Blaine said as they settled in the backseat.  
  
  
  
  
“Shop vintage?” Kurt asked, and Blaine laughed.  
  
  
  
  
“No. I meant dance so well. I thought I’d at least be a small step ahead because I dance on tour all the time, but rehearsals so far have shown me that I know nothing.”  
  
  
  
  
“That’s because hopping around on stage while singing isn’t actually dancing,” Kurt said.  
  
  
  
  
“So you’ve been to one of my shows?” was what Blaine got out of Kurt’s comment. Kurt tried not to blush.  
  
  
  
  
“I don’t have to go to one of your shows to know what you think dancing is,” Kurt deflected. “Ballroom is both an art and a science, and it takes a lot of study.”  
  
  
  
  
“And I take it you’ve been studying for a long time.”  
  
  
  
  
“Since I was a child. My mother was a dancer, and I always wanted to be just like her.”  
  
  
  
  
“She must be really proud of you, then,” Blaine said.  
  
  
  
  
“I wouldn’t know. She died before I started competing.”  
  
  
  
  
“Oh, Kurt, I’m sorry.” Blaine’s hand covered Kurt’s on the seat between them, solid and warm.  
  
  
  
  
“You didn’t know,” Kurt said, shifting his hand away.  
  
  
  
  
“But still, I know it must be hard, wanting that connection, that recognition, and never getting it.” Blaine’s tone made Kurt look up at him, but Blaine was staring out the window.  
  
  
  
  
“My dad always says she’d be really proud of me, that she was proud of me even though I hadn’t yet won a thing.”  
  
  
  
  
“He sounds like he must be great,” Blaine said, sounding pensive.  
  
  
  
  
“He is. For a long time – too long – it was just the two of us. I’ve always been able to count on him.”  
  
  
  
  
“So it’s not just the two of you anymore?”  
  
  
  
  
“No, luckily. Dad remarried when I was in high school, and I got a stepmom and a brother as a package deal,” Kurt said, smiling as he thought of his family.  
  
  
  
  
“That’s a good thing, I take it?”  
  
  
  
  
“Definitely. Having a family like that is pretty great, you know?”  
  
  
  
  
“I bet,” Blaine said quietly, his face tight.  
  
  
  
  
Before Kurt could think of what to ask him, the car was pulling to the curb in front of the restaurant. When he looked back at Blaine, he was smiling again, friendly and open.  
  
  
  
  
“Here we are. Have you been to Dig before?” Blaine asked. Kurt shook his head. “Oh, you’re going to love it. They have the best oysters I’ve ever had on the east coast.”  
  
  
  
  
Blaine kept up a steady stream of chatter as they walked inside and found the girls. Soon enough, wine was flowing and appetizers were being passed. Blaine had been right about the oysters.  
  
  
  
  
It wasn’t until late that night, tucked into his hotel bed, that Kurt thought back to the look in Blaine’s eyes in the car and wondered if maybe there was more to him than a big smile and even bigger success. It made him more curious than he wanted to be, so he shut down that line of thinking as quickly as it had come. He thought instead about the work left to do with Kim, and on all the possibilities that came with having a partner who would last. Dancing was his heart, and he would do well to focus on that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt catches up with Cedes and Tina, Kim and Kurt rehearse, Kim throws a party, and Blaine finds Kurt in a somewhat embarrassing position.

 

 

“Hey, hey, morning show star!” Mercedes called to Kurt as he walked in to what was apparently a three-person coffee date with Tina on Thursday morning. They’d already bought him a coffee and a bagel with light cream cheese, so he let it slide.  
  
  
“Don’t tell me you actually got up to watch that drivel, Cedes,” Kurt said, trying his coffee. It was perfect.  
  
  
“Of course not. I need my beauty sleep. I youtubed it like a sane person. What on earth did that stylist do to your hair?” Mercedes asked.  
  
  
“I know, right?” Kurt said. “He was completely adorable but a total disaster with a comb and too much hairspray. I think he was too star struck by the pop star to pay attention to what he was doing. I swear, if I’d had to hear one more time how much Blaine Anderson looks like a young Elvis, someone would be missing an eye.”  
  
  
“This is why we keep Mercedes around. She’s witty, talented, and she doesn’t drool over the celebs,” Tina said.  
  
  
“No, just the costume guy,” Kurt said, snickering.  
  
  
“Hey now, Sam is totally hot. And before you start again, he’s also totally straight,” Mercedes said.  
  
  
“Cedes, sweetheart, his facility with sequins speaks for itself,” Kurt said, rehashing an argument they’d been having roughly once a week since Sam had joined the show.  
  
  
“Boy, you’re only listening to the way his biceps move under those tight shirts he wears,” she replied. Tina’s gaze was swinging back and forth between them like she was watching a particularly exciting tennis match.  
  
  
“And I will keep doing so until you prove me wrong. Is there a reason you haven’t hit that yet, exactly?”  
  
  
“Oooh, yes, Mercedes. You should make that happen,” Tina said.  
  
  
“So you’re siding with her on the is he or isn’t he debate?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Kurt, the boy dresses like a beach bum most of the time. He may know his way around a sewing machine, but I think that’s just a fluke,” Tina replied, as though that settled the matter. Mercedes just grinned.  
  
  
“Fine,” Kurt said. “But I refuse to bet on it. I’m already in danger of losing $20 to Kim.”  
  
  
“About Sam?” Mercedes asked, and Kurt shook his head.  
  
  
“About Blaine, I bet,” Tina said. “He’s extremely suspicious.”  
  
  
“And extremely hot,” Mercedes said. “In fact…”  
  
  
“Don’t say it,” Kurt said, dropping his head into his hands dramatically.  
  
  
“He’s just your type,” both girls chorused, giggling.  
  
  
“I hate you both, so much.”  
  
  
“We love you too, K,” Mercedes said. When Kurt ventured a glance upward, she and Tina were both still grinning.  
  
  
“Do I need to remind you of what we talked about just last week?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Kurt says he’s swearing off guys this season,” Mercedes told Tina.  
  
  
“Is he capable of doing that?” Tina asked.  
  
  
“I’m still right here, you guys,” Kurt said, waving an arm in their direction.  
  
  
“I doubt it, but it’s cute that he wants to try,” Mercedes continued as though she hadn’t heard him.  
  
  
“Seriously. Hate. So much,” Kurt muttered, and then took a bite of his bagel. He was tempted to say that he had no idea why he put up with them, but that was patently untrue. He loved his girls to bits, even when they were being impossible. He did, however, need to find a way to keep them from conspiring with Kim, because that way lay madness.  
  
  
“So anyway,” Mercedes said, mercifully changing back to their first topic, “you were charming and gorgeous, even if your hair was not.”  
  
  
“I particularly loved that bit about you being honored to work with a partner who really lives up to the title America’s Sweetheart. I swear I could hear the fangirls’ and boys’ hearts going pitter patter after that one,” Tina teased.  
  
  
“Well, I meant it. Kim absolutely lives up to her reputation. She’s sweet but not boring, and she knows how to work.” Kurt chose to ignore the jab about his growing fan club. He couldn’t help it if people thought he was fabulous.  
  
  
“You are totally going to wipe the floor with everyone this season, aren’t you?” Mercedes asked.  
  
  
“You better believe it,” Kurt said, even as Tina shrugged and nodded. “And on that note, I should really get to rehearsal. Perfection waits for no dancer.”  
  
  
He got up to trade hugs and kisses with the girls, promising to see them soon and call them sooner. Then he headed to the studio, ready for another long and productive day with the woman he was coming to think of as his perfect partner.  
  
  
***  
  
  
By the following Tuesday, less than three weeks out from their first performance, Kurt had begun thinking longingly of the first few weeks of rehearsal, when everything was fun and new. Kim had taken to the choreography for the cha cha quickly, so Kurt had begun introducing techniques and sequences for the mambo they would dance during the second week. They’d doubled up on rehearsals, hoping to get the structure of both dances settled, but all it had done was make Kim confused about which steps went with which dance. She was getting frustrated, and Kurt was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. They didn’t have time for any of that, but Kurt knew that if he didn’t find a way to get them back on track, they’d be in even more serious trouble.  
  
  
“Ok,” Kurt said, watching Kim work through the same 16 counts of choreography over and over. “Time to stop.”  
  
  
“What?” Kim looked over at him. “We have two hours of rehearsal left. We can’t stop now.”  
  
  
“We can and we are, at least like this. Come here.” Kurt met her in the middle of the floor and turned her to face the mirror again, his hands on her shoulders. “Now close your eyes and stay put.”  
  
  
Kim cooperated immediately, her eyes closing and her shoulders dropping, and Kurt felt a rush of affection for her. She was an amazing partner, and it was his job to help her reach her potential. He would use every weapon in his arsenal to make that happen.  
  
  
“Great. Breathe and relax. I’ll be right back.” Kurt walked over to the sound system and cued up one of his favorite songs. It poured from the speakers, slow and sultry and just a little bit sexy.  
  
  
“What’s this?” Kim asked. She was smiling, but her eyes were still closed. Kurt walked back over and gathered her up so that their shoulders touched and their temples were pressed together. She went willingly, her trust in him heartening.  
  
  
“Argentine tango. It’s my favorite.” Kurt began moving them with the music, just swaying back and forth in place to start. “Follow my lead, ok? I want to show you why.”  
  
  
Kim murmured her assent, settling more fully into his frame. Kurt chanced a step toward her, urging her back. She went easily, letting him guide her. They began moving around the floor in irregular patterns, Kurt led by the music and Kim led by Kurt. Within a few seconds, Kim’s eyes opened so that she could mirror the way Kurt’s feet traced across the floor.  
  
  
“I started with ballet and jazz, just like you,” Kurt said as they moved. He could feel Kim’s smile where her cheek met his. “Then I tried ballroom, and everything changed. Dance is about expression, about communication. Ballroom dancing is about that, of course, but it’s also about connection. Connection with the audience. Connection with your partner. Connection to the deepest parts of yourself.”  
  
  
Kurt spun her once, pleased when she followed and barely missed a step. The music flowed over and around them, driving them forward.  
  
  
“When you act, you play a part, but it’s not that simple, right?” Kurt said. Kim nodded, too focused on dancing to speak. “You become the character, learning her quirks and her reasons – all the whys of who she is. Think of each dance style the same way. Each one has a unique flavor, a character all its own. Become the character, and you master the dance. It’s as easy and as insanely complex as that.”  
  
  
The music slowed, hanging onto its last notes as Kurt drew Kim in so that he could dip her back over his arm. She went easily, her spine arched and fluid. The room echoed into silence before Kurt lifted her back up again.  
  
  
“Better?” He asked, when she’d caught her breath and stepped back a bit.  
  
  
“Definitely.”  
  
  
“Good.” Kurt bent down to kiss Kim’s cheek, and she reached out to squeeze his hand. “Time for a water break, and then we’ll get back to it. Cha cha or mambo?”  
  
  
“Mambo, I think. I could go for something fierce and driving,” Kim said. Her grin was back.  
  
  
“As you wish,” Kurt said, tossing her a bottle of water. Kim laughed.  
  
  
“How are you real?”  
  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
  
“I mean, how are you so ridiculously good at this? Ten minutes ago I was losing my mind, and now I feel like I could dance anything you gave me,” Kim said.  
  
  
“It’s my job,” Kurt said. “It’s the thing I do best and care about most.”  
  
  
“Well, it shows, Mr. Modesty. So I’ll just repeat what I said when we met. I’m so, so excited that you’re my partner.” She beamed at him, and Kurt shook his head, trying not to blush.  
  
  
“Ok, enough of that,” he said. “Let’s get back to work.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
“So we’re having a party,” Kim announced the next morning in lieu of a normal greeting.  
  
  
“We are?” Kurt asked. “Wait, who’s ‘we’?”  
  
  
“You and me, silly boy! On Friday, at my house. A cast party to celebrate the new season. I already checked with all the commuting pairs, and they’ll be in town.”  
  
  
“And why am I involved in throwing this party, exactly?”  
  
  
“You’re my partner, so you have to be my co-host,” Kim said, as though that explained everything.  
  
  
“Isn’t that what you have a husband for?”  
  
  
“Grant’s in charge of entertainment. You’re in charge of the social niceties.”  
  
  
“Well, so long as our roles are all clear,” Kurt said. Kim clapped, sensing victory.  
  
  
“It’ll be fun! There will be drinks and music and dancing, and we’ll all get to know one another better.”  
  
  
“You are suspiciously excited about the prospect of getting all the pros and celebs together.”  
  
  
“I,” Kim said, fluttering her eyelashes, “am a perfectly innocent party-thrower. Just ask my husband.”  
  
  
Kurt scoffed. Loudly.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Nine o’clock Friday night found Kurt wearing a child-sized superman cape and sparkly pink tiara, flat on his back on the floor of Molly and Jake’s playroom, one child tucked under each arm. It was time for the party to start and at least half an hour after their normal bedtime, but Kim had left them to it and Kurt was having too much fun to send them to bed just yet. A few minutes before, he had managed to convince them to brush their teeth and put on pajamas with promises of a chapter of Harry Potter, complete with character voices. He was just getting into it, voice low and words clipped as he imitated Hagrid’s accent, when movement at the door caught his eye.  
  
  
“Um, hi,” Blaine said. He was leaning in the doorway, casual and yet stylish in dark jeans and a plum cardigan. “Bedtime stories?”  
  
  
“Harry Potter!” Molly chirped from Kurt’s right shoulder. “Kurtsie promised us a whole chapter tonight!”  
  
  
“Did he now?” Blaine asked, coming closer while Kurt willed his cheeks not to flush with mortification. “And who dressed Kurtsie up in this charming ensemble?”  
  
  
“Me and Jake! From our dress up box. Do you want a tiara?” Molly fluttered her lashes in a way that had to be genetic, and Blaine laughed.  
  
  
“I think I’ll pass for now, but thanks. I could help with story time, though. My nephew assures me that I do a pretty fierce Professor McGonagall.” Blaine settled down near Kurt’s head, leaning up against a bookcase. Kurt attempted not to die of shame.  
  
  
Blaine, for his part, seemed to be not at all fazed by Kurt’s unusual ensemble and company. He dove right into the story, alternating characters with Kurt. At the end of the chapter, he scooped Molly up from where she was drowsing against Kurt’s chest so that Kurt could scramble to his feet and pick Jake up. Kurt whipped the tiara off his head when Blaine headed for the door with Molly, and then strode ahead so he could direct Blaine to Molly’s room. When Kurt had finished tucking Jake in, he found Blaine waiting for him in the hallway.  
  
  
“Nice cape,” Blaine said, not unkindly. Kurt flushed, again, and untied the bow around his neck.  
  
  
“Thanks for the assist,” Kurt said, his back to Blaine as he stopped back in the playroom to put the cape, tiara, and book away. “I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.”  
  
  
“Really, I was just early. I know parties don’t really start until at least half an hour after they say they do, but I was raised to be on time. Still can’t seem to break the habit.”  
  
  
“A man with manners,” Kurt commented, leading the way down the stairs. “You’re part of a dying breed.”  
  
  
“Oh, you’re one to talk. A bedtime story complete with voices? Too few people do that anymore.”  
  
  
“It was embarrassing.”  
  
  
“It was sweet,” Blaine said, and he made Kurt feel sixteen again. “I’m sorry. Now I’m embarrassing you.”  
  
  
“It’s ok, really.” Kurt rubbed a hand over his face and then over his hair for good measure. “I’m not usually this casual in what is essentially a work environment. Those kids just…”  
  
  
“Grab at your heart and don’t let go?” Blaine asked, smiling. “I know what that’s like.”  
  
  
“Your nephew?”  
  
  
“Yeah, and my niece. The two most adorable beings on the planet, in my humble opinion.” Blaine grinned, and Kurt damned him for being so unrelentingly perfect.  
  
  
They walked out to the patio side by side and Kim immediately approached them with glasses of wine and kisses on the cheek for putting her little hooligans to bed. Kurt shot a glare in her direction, knowing without having to ask that she was the one who had sent Blaine upstairs. Kim grinned and dragged Blaine off to talk to her husband, and Kurt retreated to the relative safety of Brittany, Mike, and Tina.  
  
  
Kurt felt uncannily aware of Blaine all night. For the most part, they stayed on opposite sides of the party. Kurt introduced himself to the celebs he hadn’t yet met and spent an enjoyable half hour trading barbs with Maks and Santana, who seemed like a match made in heaven.  
  
  
As the evening wore on, the music grew exponentially louder, the partygoers looser, and the atmosphere more intimate. Mark and Derek, two of the long-term pros, were tucked into a corner by the pool, intently discussing something. Lacey and Chelsie, another pro, were dancing around, surrounded by Matt, Rory, and Joe, none of whom looked like they’d be much competition. They were endearing in that straight guy flailing about on the dance floor way, but they didn’t make Kurt nervous at all for the show.  
  
  
Santana was laughing at something Brittany had just said, her head thrown back, and since Brit was laughing too that meant that Santana actually got her, which was both refreshing and unexpected. It would bear watching. Quinn, the journalist from CNN who was dancing with Mark, begged off early, citing an early morning interview. Lauren and Puck took off at some point together, talking loudly in sports metaphors that made Kurt shudder. Bitsy and Sugar, who was famous for being famous, as far as Kurt could tell, were bouncing around together, drinking champagne and giggling. Kim had her head together with Tina, which terrified but didn’t surprise Kurt, while Mike, Blaine, and Grant talked music and dance and the intersections between the two.  
  
  
Kurt was content to relax in a lounge chair by the pool, people watching and sipping wine. But then Britney came on over the sound system, his Brit-Brit came charging for him, and he was on the makeshift dance floor, his glass left behind while his girls surrounded him. I’m a Slave 4 U wasn’t exactly fast, but it was perfect for a little dirty Latin dancing.  
  
  
Kurt pulled Brit close, and she slithered down his body and back up. Behind him, Tina was using his shoulders as a makeshift barre; at one point he swore he could see her foot stretched over his head. Kurt lost himself in the music and the movement, letting his hips twist and his hands reach out automatically to spin Brit and Tina. Dimly, he heard a whoop and knew that Mike was coming to grab his wife for a dance. Brit turned into him more fully, and he led her out into a series of tight steps, their hips swiveling together. Maks and Lacey popped up next to them, moving fast and grinning hard as the song transitioned to Me Against the Music.  
  
  
Kurt caught Maks’ eye, remembering the pro dance they’d done two seasons before. He counted them in, while Mike shooed the celebs out of their way. The music kicked into higher gear, the bass thumping, and the two couples were off, feet flying. Kurt and Maks swung the girls out, snapping them back in for a beat before both pairs shifted around one another with staccato steps. Then the boys stepped back for the bridge, letting Brit and Lacey do what they did best. The real Britney had nothing on them.  
  
  
Kurt stood at the edge of the floor, breathing hard. On the other side of the loose circle of dancers, Blaine was standing alone, observing. He caught Kurt’s eye, held his gaze for a long moment. Kurt felt undone, being watched like that. He couldn’t look away. Finally, after what felt like years but could have only been seconds, Blaine’s mouth quirked up in a smile and Kurt remembered to breathe again. He looked down, and when he glanced back up, Blaine had turned away.  
  
  
They didn’t talk, then or later. Kim dragged Kurt back into the group of dancers, and Blaine spent the next couple of hours moving from group to group, talking and laughing and smiling that illegal smile of his. Kurt never caught Blaine looking again, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that dark eyes followed him for the rest of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine is everywhere, Kurt is surly, Blaine helps Kurt out of a tricky situation, and someone has a date.

 

 

For the next week, Blaine seemed to be everywhere Kurt was. The show hadn’t even started yet, but already he and Kim, and Bitsy and Blaine, were being heralded as the front-runners, which meant that every time a publicity opportunity appeared, both couples were trotted out. Kurt was getting a little tired of Blaine’s cheerful mug showing up opposite him at every 4am morning show taping and radio interview the show could send them on.  
  
  
“Stop scowling,” Kim hissed at him, while still managing to maintain her professional smile.  
  
  
“I’ll stop when you stop making me sit next to the pop star,” Kurt whispered back, pointedly angling his body away from Blaine, who was being entirely too polite and friendly for five o’clock in the morning.  
  
  
They were on yet another morning show, complete with obnoxious perky hosts and inane questions. Kurt was contemplating how big a coffee mug he’d need to either make this palatable or drown himself in. It had been that sort of week.  
  
  
“Would you like more coffee?” Blaine asked, pushing his mug toward Kurt as though he could read minds. “I think I’ve had enough. It makes me jumpy.”  
  
  
“Thanks,” Kurt said begrudgingly. Blaine was making it entirely too difficult to hate him.  
  
  
“Of course.” Blaine smiled sweetly, and then turned back to keep Bitsy occupied. Earlier that week, he’d apparently figured out that Bitsy made Kurt want to gouge his eyes out with the provided coffee spoons and had taken it upon himself to keep them as far apart as possible. It made Kurt want to kiss him. Or kick him. Or something like that. He couldn’t be held responsible for his actions at this hour of the morning.  
  
  
“Kurtsie, darling,” Kim said, sliding closer so no one could overhear. “If you don’t make up your mind about him soon, you’re going to give yourself an aneurysm.”  
  
  
“I’ve left strict instructions to blame you if that happens. It’s clearly all your fault.” Kurt knew he was scowling again, but he couldn’t be bothered to care. It was early, and boys were confusing. He wouldn’t be surprised if he started pouting in a minute.  
  
  
The interview was mercifully short, but before Kurt could escape, Kim grabbed him to talk about their rehearsal schedule for the rest of the day. Blaine wandered up a minute later, and Kim looked entirely too delighted by that coincidence to be believable.  
  
  
“So, hey,” Blaine began, smiling what Kurt had decided was Blaine Anderson smile number thirty-two: bashful and yet endearing. “Tina mentioned the other day that a bunch of the cast likes to go out dancing on Thursday nights. It sounded like fun, so I thought I might go. Elizabeth can’t make it, but I thought maybe you guys might be going?”  
  
  
“Oh, I can’t tonight. The kids are insisting on a movie marathon,” Kim said. Kurt was almost one hundred percent sure she’d just made that up on the spot. “But Kurt always goes. Right, Kurtsie?”  
  
  
“Oh, well, sometimes,” Kurt stuttered, mentally rearranging his hit list to include both Kim and Tina at the very top.  
  
  
“Great!” Blaine said, as though ‘sometimes’ meant ‘yes, absolutely, please tag along with me and make this evening just as awkward and confusing as this moment is.’ “I’ll see you there!”  
  
  
“Sure, I guess,” Kurt said, but Blaine was already turning away, a bounce in his step. Kurt turned toward Kim and unleashed the glare that left both his father and stepbrother quaking in fear. Kim only laughed.  
  
  
“I hope you make a stop at the ATM on the way there, Kurtsie, because you are going to be owing me some money.”  
  
  
“I strongly dislike you.”  
  
  
“Right. Just about as much as you dislike little Blainers, there,” Kim said.  
  
  
“Did I say dislike? I meant despise. I’d double up on your rehearsals if it didn’t mean I had to see your smug little face twice as much.”  
  
  
“Aw, I love you too, darling.” Kim cooed, cuddling up to him. “It’ll all work out in the end.”  
  
  
“That,” Kurt said, “is exactly what I’m afraid of.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
Sixteen hours and six outfit changes later, Kurt called Mercedes in desperation.  
  
  
“You can’t decide what to wear, can you?” She said in lieu of a greeting. He whimpered. “Boy, you have got it bad. I haven’t seen you like this in…I don’t know, ever?”  
  
  
“I just can’t decide between the regular dark wash jeans or the ones with the slight sheen,” Kurt said, trying to hang on to some semblance of control. He’d been dressing himself since he was two. He didn’t do this.  
  
  
“The shiny ones. Sparkle is always good, and they make your ass look fabulous. Button-down, vest, and tie?”  
  
  
“The skinny black one,” he confirmed.  
  
  
“Perfect,” she said. “Send me a picture when you’re all done. I want to see. And while you’re at it, you should get a picture of Blaine too. I’m dying to know what he wears clubbing.”  
  
  
“I really need new friends,” Kurt muttered, feeling more himself now that his wardrobe crisis was over. “Why aren’t you just coming with me, again?”  
  
  
“Because I can’t keep up with you dancing fools once you get going. Plus, I’ve got an early shoot tomorrow. Have extra fun for me, though!”  
  
  
“Yes ma’am.”  
  
  
“I mean it,” Mercedes said. “Stop thinking so hard and just let go. The season hasn’t even started yet. You need to relax, at least for one night.”  
  
  
“I’ll try,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Don’t try – just do. Don’t make me call Tina and have her get you drunk.”  
  
  
“The horror,” Kurt said, but when he hung up he was laughing.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Oh, shit," Kurt said, interrupting Blaine's story about tour bus hijinks from the previous summer. They were at the bar, tasked with picking up another round of drinks for the table.  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
"Don't look now, but one of my ghosts of beer goggles past is down at the other end of the bar," Kurt said. Blaine, predictably, turned right around to look. "I said don't look!"  
  
  
"Ghosts of beer goggles past?” Blaine asked, grinning. “I take it the neanderthal down there is on your list of regrets? Somehow I didn't imagine you'd be into someone so...beefy."  
  
  
"Like I said - beer goggles. They make anyone attractive," Kurt replied testily.  
  
  
"I also didn't think you were that into beer..."  
  
  
"Well mojito goggles just sounds stupid, doesn't it?" Kurt snapped. "Oh, god, he's looking this way. Help!"  
  
  
"What? How?" Blaine looked around helplessly, while Kurt tried to hide behind him. It wasn't that successful.  
  
  
"Ok, that's it," Kurt said, taking the drinks out of Blaine's hands and setting them on the bar. He looked Blaine up and down and shrugged. He'd do.  
  
  
"Whoa, what? Why do I get the feeling I'm about to get roped into something sordid?" Blaine smiled warily.  
  
  
"Because you are. Now come along and grope me on the dance floor like you're interested. I promise to tell everyone about your heroics later." Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand before he could protest and dragged them into the mass of dancing bodies.  
  
  
It took a minute or two to find the perfect spot on the dance floor – visible yet protected. Kurt didn’t like anyone getting too close unless they’d been invited. By the time he turned around, intending to pull Blaine in, Blaine seemed to have recovered from his initial shock. He was rocking back and forth to the beat, hips swinging and eyes almost closed. He looked up from underneath his lashes, going willingly when Kurt reeled him in.  
  
  
“How am I doing?” Blaine asked, crowding close.  
  
  
“Less talking, more dancing,” Kurt said. The music was pounding, and he let it take him, take them, cocooning them together in heat and sound.  
  
  
Kurt’s arms wrapped over Blaine’s shoulders, one hand sliding up the nape of his neck to skim through his hair. Blaine had Kurt by the hips, fingers curling through his belt loops. Their cheeks pressed together, Blaine breathing hot and fast in Kurt’s ear, and Kurt closed his eyes as electric want coursed through his body. Right now, Blaine didn’t feel like a means to an end. He felt like everything, and Kurt was lost in sensation.  
  
  
The song changed, fast and tight giving way to slow and throbbing. Kurt’s hands slid down, palms spreading across the muscles of Blaine’s back. Blaine mirrored his motion, one hand slipping into Kurt’s back pocket while the other wrapped more tightly around his waist. Blaine dropped his forehead into the crook of Kurt’s neck, and Kurt’s breath caught when he realized Blaine was watching the way their hips rolled together with every beat.  
  
  
Kurt closed his eyes, giving in to the pull that he’d felt from their first meeting. It was reckless and stupid, but it just felt so damn good. In the middle of the floor, music in his ears and Blaine inundating his senses, Kurt found it hard to care about the standards he had set for himself in the light of day. Blaine shifted, mouth coming back up to Kurt’s ear, and Kurt shifted with him.  
  
  
“Is it working?” Blaine murmured.  
  
  
God, yes. Everything about this was working for Kurt.  
  
  
“Hm?”  
  
  
“The dancing – is it working? Or is that guy still there?” Blaine kept moving, kept touching, scrambling Kurt’s brain. It took him a second to look up and focus on the bar.  
  
  
“I don’t see him,” Kurt said, words slurring from sheer proximity.  
  
  
“Success!” Blaine said, pulling back as the music changed again, this time to something energetic and fun. He looked slightly rumpled, and Kurt had to will himself not to drag him closer and muss him up some more.  
  
  
“Looks that way,” Kurt said, disentangling himself more fully from Blaine. “It’s probably safe to go back and get our drinks.”  
  
  
They made their way off the dance floor, Blaine’s hand occasionally drifting across Kurt’s lower back as they worked through the crowd. Blaine organized their drinks and herded Kurt, who was still slightly dazed, back toward their table. Tina and Mike were gone, probably off dancing, but Brittany greeted them with a big smile. Kurt slid into the booth next to her and let his head fall to her shoulder.  
  
  
“Too much dancing?” she asked.  
  
  
“Something like that.”  
  
  
“I think it’s always more tiring when you really care,” she said matter-of-factly.  
  
  
“You have no idea,” Kurt said, but he realized that knowing Brit, she probably did.  
  
  
Kurt looked across the table at Blaine, who was sipping his drink and watching the dancers with a big, relaxed grin. He seemed no worse for wear following their little encounter, so Kurt resolved not to let it bother him. It was just dancing – a friend helping a friend. It would be fine. And if he ended up spending the rest of the evening convincing himself of that, no one else needed to know.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Cedes texted Kurt the next morning before he was fully awake, a terse “we need to talk” that meant she’d somehow gotten wind of what had gone down at the club. He put her off, citing a full day of rehearsal, which was technically true, but by seven that night, she was no longer taking no for an answer.  
  
  
He answered the insistent knocking at his door, not surprised in the least when Cedes was on the other side, hands full of take-out and no nonsense expression firmly in place. He sighed and helped her set up dinner.  
  
  
“So,” she began, once they’d settled at his breakfast bar. “Care to explain why I have a picture on my phone that looks like it was ripped straight out of gay soul train?”  
  
  
“Shit,” Kurt said succinctly. “Tina?”  
  
  
“Of course.” She pulled the picture up and showed it to him. His breath caught at the way he and Blaine looked together, wrapped up and lost in one another. “Care to make your case before the judge?”  
  
  
“It’s not what it looks like,” he began in a rush. “Well, it is. We were dancing. But really, he was just helping me avoid some guy I really didn’t want approaching me again.”  
  
  
“By wrapping himself around you like a particularly horny koala bear? So selfless of him.”  
  
  
“Oh, shut up. He really was helping. Just not my sanity.” Kurt ran a hand through his hair.  
  
  
“Oh, baby,” Cedes said, recognizing his distress. “Tell me all about it.”  
  
  
“Why is he so hot and nice?” Kurt whined. “It would be so much easier if he were mean and ugly.”  
  
  
“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if he were mean and ugly, K.”  
  
  
“I know, I just…”  
  
  
“You just nothing. I think it’s time you accept that he may not be as straight as you’ve been trying to convince yourself he is. Based on this picture, I’d go with not very straight at all.” Cedes held her phone out in front of her, turning it slightly, a dirty grin on her face.  
  
  
“Oh, my god. You have to stop. You’re scarring me for life.”  
  
  
“At least it’s not your ass I’m staring at, though come to think of it…”  
  
  
“No! Just no.” Kurt grabbed the phone from her and put it down on the far side of the table. “Eat your fried rice and shut up.”  
  
  
“Remember when you used to be fun?” Cedes asked.  
  
  
“Remember when you didn’t torture me just for the hell of it?” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“Not really, no. That’s at least half the fun of our friendship.”  
  
  
“And let me guess – the other half is having a shopping buddy who doesn’t wilt at the first sign of a store-wide sale.”  
  
  
“Right in one!” Cedes grinned at him, and Kurt couldn’t help smiling back. “I love you, K. You know that. And I think you need to give yourself a break just this once.”  
  
  
“And do what? Throw myself at a guy just because he’s been nice to me? That’s a whole level of pathetic I have yet to reach.”  
  
  
“Well heaven forbid you put yourself out there, but no, that’s not what I meant. Just give him a chance. Be a little less prickly for once in your life and see what happens. You might be surprised.”  
  
  
“And how’s that working out for you?” Kurt said dryly.  
  
  
“I,” Cedes said, looking smug, “have a date tomorrow night.”  
  
  
“With Sam?” Kurt asked, eyes going wide when Cedes nodded. “Oh my god, Cedes! Way to hold out on me!”  
  
  
“Sorry.” She giggled. “It just happened today, and I wanted to tell you in person.”  
  
  
“That’s amazing. It’s a really good thing I didn’t take that bet, because I think I need to have my gaydar checked.”  
  
  
“My point exactly.”  
  
  
“Oh, fine.” Kurt rolled his eyes. “I’ll consider the possibility that I may have misjudged Blaine, but first you have to tell me everything. How did it happen? What did he say? And more importantly, what are you going to wear?”  
  
  
Their dinner dissolved into happy chatter and wardrobe planning. Around midnight, after Kurt had followed Cedes home so he could personally approve her outfit choice for her date and then left her so she could get her beauty sleep, Kurt realized that he hadn’t thought of Blaine in hours. With little more than a week left before the premiere, he knew it needed to stay that way. Work came first, his love life second. Cedes and Kim might be right about Blaine, but that didn’t mean anything had to happen between them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With one week left to go before the premiere, Kurt reflects on family, the pros rehearse, and Kim orchestrates a lunch date.

 

 

“So, what’s the plan, boss?” Kim asked on Monday morning. Kurt had let her harass him about Blaine like the big sister she wanted to be over the weekend, but he had drawn the line at letting her distract them from rehearsal with only a week left to go.  
  
  
“Two full days of rehearsal, today and tomorrow. A half day on Wednesday so I can go learn the pro dance. Final costume fittings and ridiculous amounts of press on Thursday. A day off on Friday, blocking and dress over the weekend, and then it’s showtime,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Nothing to it, hm?” Kim said, looking vaguely terrified.  
  
  
“You’ll be fine.” Kurt grabbed her hands and squeezed. “I’ve done this a bunch of times, and you’re already more prepared than any of my previous partners.”  
  
  
“And I’m not going to look like an idiot?”  
  
  
“You’re not going to look like an idiot. You’re going to be amazing. Trust me.”  
  
  
“I do,” Kim said. Her honesty warmed his heart. They’d barely begun, but he already loved this season best.  
  
  
“So, I have a surprise.” Kurt said with forced cheer. Now was definitely not the time to break down into sentimentality. “We have a bit of an audience today.”  
  
  
Kurt walked over to the studio doors to let in the film crew, who set up quickly. Moments later, Molly and Jake burst through the doors, followed at a more reasonable pace by Grant. They swarmed Kim, bestowing hugs and kisses freely. Then Molly made a break for it and attached herself to Kurt’s knees.  
  
  
“Hi, Kurtsie!” she said as he swung her up onto one hip.  
  
  
“Hi, munchkin. Ready to watch me and your mom dance?”  
  
  
“Yes!” She clapped her hands and squealed in his ear. “And then can me and Jake show you what we learned at dance class? Miss Tina and Mister Mike say we’re going to be stars!”  
  
  
“Sure thing, Molly.” Kurt put her down, and she skipped off to tell her dad about her plan. Kurt turned to Jake, who had stopped a few feet away. “Hi, Jakesters. How’s my favorite little guy?”  
  
  
“Good,” Jake said, smiling at the floor.  
  
  
“Excellent,” Kurt said, ruffling his hair. “You have a very important job today.”  
  
  
“I do?” Jake’s curiosity got the better of him, and he lifted his arms to be picked up.  
  
  
“You sure do. I need you to watch very carefully and tell us what you think of the dance. Thumbs up or thumbs down, ok?”  
  
  
Jake nodded solemnly, and Kurt couldn’t resist smacking a kiss to his cheek before putting him back on his feet. The kid had all of Kim’s honest sweetness with none of the obnoxious sass.  
  
  
They got started a few minutes later. Kim, who had been good so far, kicked into an extra gear in front of an audience. They still had some polishing to do, but Kurt thought it was reasonable to expect that today’s three thumbs up would translate into positive judges’ scores and viewer votes.  
  
  
The kids were up next, demonstrating a simple box step, Molly bossing her brother for all she was worth. Kim pulled Grant up to join them, and Kurt sat back to watch the happy family goof off. This was tv gold, he knew, and the producers would use this in their first rehearsal package, but more importantly, it felt like home.  
  
  
Kurt flashed back in his mind to his parents’ wedding reception, and the way that Carole – who wasn’t yet his other mother in the way she became later – had danced with each one of her boys in turn. Kurt had spun her around with fancy dips and turns until she was laughing, and Finn had managed not to step on her feet too badly. And then she had turned back to Burt, had melted into him like she had always belonged there, and Kurt had known that everything was just right.  
  
  
That had been the night that Kurt had realized that he would be ok, that his family would help him get through anything the world might throw at him. He had a father to love him, a stepmother to listen to everything that was in his heart, and a brother who would always have his back. He could do anything. With their support, he was well on his way to accomplishing his dreams.  
  
  
He went back to watching the happy family in front of him, making a mental note to call his parents later that night and meet his brother for lunch in the next few days. His friends kept him sane, but his family kept him grounded. He’d need all of them to survive the season. But first, more rehearsal.  
  
  
He got Kim’s attention, and together they herded her family away so they could get back to work. Seven days and counting – it was going to be a wild ride.  
  
  
***  
  
  
For some reason, the utter chaos of the first pro dance rehearsal always took Kurt by surprise. He figured the madness was a combination of anticipation of the first show, too much energy after a summer away, and sheer nerves. This time there were no new pros, so the heckling and general insanity was at an all-time high. Mark was choreographing, which meant a lot of intricate movement and probably some hip hop or something similar. Kurt had never been more grateful for his well-rounded dance background than when he started dancing with Mark.  
  
  
Rather than try to get everyone’s attention by yelling, Mark just turned their music on and cranked up the volume. As soon as Kurt recognized the song, he cracked up.  
  
  
“Don’t Stop Believin’? Really?” Kurt said once Mark had turned it back down to a reasonable level. “Isn’t that a little overdone?”  
  
  
“Never!” Lacey yelled from where she was jamming with Brittany. They’d both worn legwarmers, which seemed a little too appropriate.  
  
  
“It’s a classic for a reason,” Mark reasoned. “It’ll get everyone pumped up and singing along, which is what we want.”  
  
  
“I suppose,” Kurt said, sharing an eyeroll with Maks.  
  
  
“It’ll work. I promise,” Mark said. “Now let’s get organized. D and Chels, I want you two middle left. Elizabeth, you’re with me, middle right. Lovebirds, front and center.”  
  
  
Everyone began moving, Maks automatically extricating Brittany from Lacey. As the two tallest pros, Maks and Brit danced together more often than not. Kurt braced himself for impact as Lacey made a run for it, jumping on his back.  
  
  
“I guess it’s just you and me, buddy,” Lacey said, sliding down so they could head for upstage right, behind Mark and Bitsy.  
  
  
“Lucky me,” Kurt said, pulling her back in for a quick hug.  
  
  
Kurt enjoyed dancing with Lacey, whose enthusiasm was only eclipsed by her talent. He was hoping to get another lyrical duet with her this season. The one they’d done the previous season to Without You had been amazing. Rachel had killed the vocals, and Kurt had gotten caught up with Lacey in the mood and the movement. He still remembered hitting that last pose, breathing hard and feeling like someone had just turned the lights and sound back on as he noticed their standing ovation. It had been one of those nights when he knew he was exactly where he needed to be.  
  
  
Mark called out instructions, demonstrating steps for the opening sequence, which would be done in a fugue, each couple beginning a few counts after the one before them. The song was fast and high energy, requiring a lot of turns and lifts. After the opening chorus, each couple got their turn in the spotlight, moving quickly in and out of the center of the floor. The final chorus was in unison, quick, sharp, and fabulous. By the time they made it all the way through, they were all sweating and grinning.  
  
  
Kurt looked up at the sound of applause and noticed that half the celebs were crowded in the doorway, watching the pros rehearse. Kim was leaning on Blaine, grinning and looking entirely too cozy for Kurt’s comfort. Kurt walked over to them, wiping the back of his neck with the towel he’d grabbed from his bag.  
  
  
“Hey,” Kurt said. He kissed Kim’s cheek, his eyes on Blaine. Blaine smiled back at him, looking totally at ease.  
  
  
“So that was awesome,” Kim said, looping her arm through Kurt’s.  
  
  
“Thanks. I’m exhausted, but it’s for a good cause.”  
  
  
“Well it looks amazing,” Blaine said. “I don’t know how you can stand dancing with neophytes like us when you can dance like that.”  
  
  
“I competed for long enough that I don’t really miss it now. Plus, I love to teach,” Kurt said, grateful for Kim’s presence or whatever it was that was keeping this conversation from spiraling down into awkwardness. Every time he looked at Blaine, all he could think about was the way it had felt to hold him. It had been so right, and so incredibly hot. Kurt forced a smile back on his face and cursed his wayward mind.  
  
  
“I brought lunch, as requested,” Kim was saying when Kurt tuned back in. “I have plenty if you and Elizabeth would like to join us, Blaine.”  
  
  
“I think Elizabeth is staying to rehearse a little more with Mark, but I’d love to,” Blaine said brightly.  
  
  
“OK, great. Meet me in my trailer in ten? I should have everything ready to go then,” Kim said. She smiled sweetly, and Kurt shot her a dark look. She knew exactly what she was doing, and Kurt didn’t like it one bit.  
  
  
Fifteen minutes later, having taken the fastest shower of his life, Kurt walked into Kim’s trailer without knocking. She and Blaine were tucked into her tiny table, chatting over drinks and salads. Kim had thoughtfully laid Kurt’s lunch out right next to Blaine. Kim waved him into his chair and winked. She was a dead woman.  
  
  
“So, Blaine,” Kim began once Kurt was seated, his knees pressed up against Blaine’s. “How did you get roped into dancing this season?”  
  
  
“Well, it’s kind of a funny story. My best friend is a great dancer, and she and the guys in my band are always making fun of me for hopping around on stage instead of really dancing.” Blaine grinned at Kurt, obviously remembering what Kurt had said back in New York. “So I told them that if they could figure out a way for me to learn to dance that would fit in my schedule, I’d do it. The next thing I knew, my agent was calling me with an offer to do the show. That’s the last time I open my big mouth around any of them.”  
  
  
“Oh, honey, friends are the worst, aren’t they?” Kim asked, and Kurt silently agreed. “But I bet you’re going to be amazing.”  
  
  
“I hope so. I know you’ll be great. You have a wonderful teacher, after all.” Blaine looked at Kurt, who almost choked on his lunch. Blaine really needed to be less sweet, or Kurt was going to start believing him.  
  
  
“He is, isn’t he?” Kim said. “I’ve wanted to do the show for a while. Now that the timing is finally right, I feel like I got extra lucky when it came to partners. Granted, I may have mentioned a little something about my preference to the producers…”  
  
  
“You didn’t tell me that!” Kurt was honestly surprised. He’d never been requested outright before.  
  
  
“Didn’t I? Not like it matters now, anyway.” Kim waved a dismissive hand in the air. “I have what I want, and I’m not letting you go!”  
  
  
“It’s a really good thing I like you, missy.” Kurt reached across the table to squeeze her hand.  
  
  
“You two obviously have a great partnership,” Blaine commented. “I guess it’s lucky that I like my partner so much, since I didn’t know enough to request anyone.”  
  
  
“You mean Bitsy’s not driving you insane?”  
  
  
“Kurt! You’re terrible,” Kim said, giggling.  
  
  
“No, Bi…Elizabeth and I are actually a pretty good match. She has a lot of energy, like me, and she’s really patient, which I need,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Well that’s good, I suppose. Someone should get along with her, because it’s not going to be me.” Kurt crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
  
“Did you guys have an issue or something?” Blaine asked. Kurt sighed.  
  
  
“Not really. She just tends to rub me the wrong way. All that blonde hair and perkiness and giggling is a lot to handle. Plus she’s entirely too nice. It’s disconcerting.” Kurt shuddered delicately, and Blaine laughed.  
  
  
“So too nice is weird. Duly noted,” Blaine said. “I’ll be sure to say something mean in your presence at least once a week so you won’t think I’m creepy.”  
  
  
“I appreciate that,” Kurt said, trying not to laugh. “I know it’s a little ridiculous, but not everyone is destined to be the best of friends. I’m ok with that.”  
  
  
“True.” Kim nodded sagely. “I mean, I plan to use you as a means to an end and then kick you to the curb once I get my hands on that mirrorball trophy.”  
  
  
“You’re a brat,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“You love me,” Kim shot back.  
  
  
“You’re both ridiculous,” Blaine said. “I think that’s why I like you so much.”  
  
  
Kurt grinned at Blaine, knowing his expression was bordering on soppy and not caring. Kim laughed delightedly and stood up to begin gathering their plates.  
  
  
“I should get back. I know Elizabeth wants to start rehearsal soon. But this was fun. We should do it again,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Absolutely,” Kurt found himself saying. He knew Blaine meant all three of them, but he couldn’t help the little thrill he felt knowing Blaine wanted to share a meal with him again.  
  
  
“Great.” Blaine got up, squeezing Kurt’s shoulder on his way to the door. “Thanks for lunch, Kim!”  
  
  
“You’re welcome,” Kim said, like a perfect hostess. The moment Blaine had closed the door, she turned to Kurt and squealed.  
  
  
“Don’t start,” Kurt warned. “You are evil. Evil evil evil.”  
  
  
“I’m also right. Right right right. Did he or did he not just request another lunch date with you?”  
  
  
“With both of us, you jerk. Don’t you dare get my hopes up.” Kurt pointed a finger at her. “I will never forgive you when it all blows up spectacularly in my face.”  
  
  
“Have a little faith, Kurt darling. And have a little fun. What can it hurt?” Kim asked.  
  
  
Unfortunately, Kurt knew from experience just how much it could hurt. It wasn’t a situation he cared to find himself in again anytime soon. He smiled wanly at Kim and resolved to keep his dating fantasies in check. He’d play along with Kim to a degree, but he wasn’t putting his heart on the line again unless he knew for sure that it wouldn’t get broken into pieces.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day before the premiere. Kurt and Finn have some brotherly bonding time, and Blaine has a rough day until Kurt and coffee come to the rescue.

 

 

By Sunday when everyone made it to set for blocking, they were all showing signs of wear. Kurt was glad he’d had the foresight to take Friday off. Several of the couples who had worked straight through the week had reached meltdown stage, and it wasn’t pretty. Sugar and Derek were yelling at each other in the hallway, and Puck was stomping around the balcony while Lacey rolled her eyes and waited at the bottom of the stairs. Even Blaine and Bitsy were subdued, slumped in chairs in the front row and talking quietly.  
  
  
They’d run the pro dance early and were now working their way steadily through each of the couples. Kim and Kurt were slated seventh, which meant they wouldn’t rehearse until after lunch, but Kurt liked to get an advance look at all the dances when he could. Both Santana and Quinn had looked great, taking to the foxtrot like they were born to dance. Kurt had a feeling that while Quinn might struggle when she switched to Latin, Santana was going to be a force to be reckoned with regardless of dance style.  
  
  
The guys were mostly hopeless, though based on what Lacey had been saying, Puck would be good once he got over his temper tantrum. They were going eighth, and Kurt was planning to stay to watch. Actually, he admitted to himself, he’d be staying to watch the whole thing, because Blaine and Bitsy were up last, and he was dying to see how their rehearsal went.  
  
  
Lauren and Mike finished what Kurt could only term an interesting foxtrot, and Artie, the stage manager, called out that it was time for lunch break. Cast, crew, and band alike hurried out of the room or fell into chairs, exhausted. Kurt heard a yell from the orchestra pit and winced. Sure enough, within a few seconds a giant was racing toward him, grabbing him around the middle and throwing him over his shoulder. Kurt wheezed out a laugh and looked up to see Blaine frowning at him from across the room.  
  
  
“Finn Hudson! You put me down this instant. Behemoth.” Kurt swung wildly once more before Finn obeyed and he found his feet again.  
  
  
“Sorry, dude. Just excited about lunch. I haven’t eaten for hours,” Finn said, grinning down at him.  
  
  
“Poor thing. I’m sure you’re about to waste away if we don’t feed you an entire dead animal in the next ten minutes,” Kurt said. Finn nodded, his eyes wide. “Oh, fine. Let’s go. But you’re buying. My wallet still hasn’t recovered from the last dinner I paid for.”  
  
  
Kurt grabbed Finn by the elbow and guided him across the floor so he didn’t trip on any of the camera wires. The camera crew already had it in for him, and Kurt tried to help him as best he could. Kurt smiled as they walked by Blaine and Bitsy, listening with partial attention as Finn went on about the new lunch place he was sure Kurt would love. Blaine smiled back, but it was a far cry from his usual exuberant grin. Kurt figured he was just tired.  
  
  
Finn kept up a steady stream of chatter all the way to the restaurant, filling Kurt in on what he’d been up to for the last few weeks while Kurt had been rehearsing like mad. Once the season started, they’d see each other a lot more since Finn was the drummer for the show’s band, but during preseason they rarely crossed paths unless they planned it. Kurt got Finn’s side of the ongoing saga of his pseudo-relationship with Rachel, which he’d already processed to death with Rachel on Friday. It sounded like they were finally getting it together for real, but Kurt wasn’t about to place any bets on how long that would last. He loved them both, but they were idiots when it came to one another.  
  
  
“So,” Finn said, mouth full. Kurt suppressed a shudder. “I talked to Mom and Dad last night. They get in later tonight. Rachel and I are going to have brunch with them before we have to get to the studio, and then they want to have family dinner after the show.”  
  
  
“I’ll have to see what Kim wants to do. Knowing her, she’ll probably want to have joint family dinner.”  
  
  
“Mom will love that. Remember how she watched that show every Monday night, and we weren’t allowed to talk?”  
  
  
“That’s only because you hadn’t yet learned how to use your inside voice,” Kurt said. “I got talking privileges by the second season.”  
  
  
“Yeah, whatever. It wasn’t that interesting anyway.” Finn took another gargantuan bite of his sandwich, and Kurt had to look away.  
  
  
“I’ll talk to Kim this afternoon and let you know before rehearsal ends. You can fill in the ‘rents.”  
  
  
“Sure,” Finn said, finishing off his lunch with more speed than was strictly necessary.  
  
  
They headed back to set, Kurt already running the dance in his head. He had a few notes he wanted to give Kim before they started. As they walked back into the ballroom, Finn put a hand on his arm.  
  
  
“Hey,” Finn said. “You’re good, right?”  
  
  
“You mean with the show, or in general, or?”  
  
  
“In general. I just…you push yourself really hard, and I wanted to make sure you were doing ok,” Finn said, and Kurt softened.  
  
  
“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for checking,” Kurt said. Finn held his arms out, and Kurt stepped into his embrace, letting Finn hug him tight.  
  
  
They parted ways after that, Finn with a smile and Kurt with a renewed spring in his step. He’d been right to make time for his brother. His family made getting to do what he loved so much more real, more special. He hurried off to find Kim, excited to get their dance down so they could perform it perfectly for their families the next night.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Blocking went well for Kim and Kurt, and they were able to sit back and watch as Puck and Lacey took the floor. Their cha cha looked like it would be quirky and fun, but in a different way than Kim and Kurt’s was. Both couples would be distinctive enough that they’d get attention, but not so strange that they’d get called out by the judges too badly. At least that was the theory Kurt was operating under.  
  
  
During the next number, Kurt talked quietly to Kim, offering suggestions and reminding her about parts of the choreography that might still give her trouble. They’d get together for a brief rehearsal in the morning before dress, but he didn’t want to overdo it. He wanted her calm and happy so that she could give a great performance. They could worry more about technique in later weeks.  
  
  
Blaine and Bitsy were up next, and both Kim and Kurt grew quiet so they could watch. Blaine seemed to have his steps down well enough, but the flirty and fun attitude he needed for the cha cha just wasn’t there.  
  
  
“Is it just me, or does Blaine seem sort of off?” Kim whispered.  
  
  
“It’s not just you,” Kurt replied, frowning. “He doesn’t look like he’s having any fun out there.”  
  
  
“You should talk to him after – give him some pointers.” Kim waggled her eyebrows at him.  
  
  
“You’re ridiculous, but you’re not wrong.” Kurt sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”  
  
  
Kurt watched closely through the rest of their rehearsal, trying to figure out what was going on. Bitsy looked flummoxed, which made Kurt think that Blaine’s behavior was unusual. Maybe he was just having an off day, and tomorrow would be fine. Still, Kurt felt like he should at least make the effort.  
  
  
Once rehearsal ended, Kurt walked Kim to her car to give Blaine a few minutes to get back to his trailer. She gave him a kiss and told him good luck with an evil gleam in her eye, which he ignored. Then he made his way over to Blaine’s trailer and knocked tentatively.  
  
  
“It’s open,” came a rather glum voice.  
  
  
“Hey.” Kurt stuck his head around the door and found Blaine sitting on his couch, head propped on one hand. “Do you mind a little company?”  
  
  
“Uh, sure,” Blaine scrambled up, tossing things off the couch so Kurt could sit down. Kurt stepped over what looked like a small music store’s worth of guitars and tucked himself into the other end of the couch.  
  
  
“Not to be presumptuous or anything, but that seemed a little rough?”  
  
  
“You think?” Blaine scoffed, running one hand through his hair and mussing his curls.  
  
  
“Wait, was that sarcasm I heard?” Kurt smiled. “I wasn’t sure you had it in you.”  
  
  
“Yeah, well, when things suck royally, even I can’t keep up a happy façade.”  
  
  
“Hey, no. That didn’t suck at all. It just seemed like you weren’t quite there. I’m sure you’ll be focused and awesome tomorrow.”  
  
  
“I hope so. The guys from my band will be there. I’d hate to fall on my face in front of them. They’ll never let me live it down,” Blaine said with a glimmer of a smile.  
  
  
“Oh, I know what you mean. Finn still hasn’t let me forget about the time I tripped on my way down the stairs at the start of the show and almost face planted into the lady who plays the chimes,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Finn?” Blaine asked, shifting in his seat.  
  
  
“My idiot brother, the guy who plays the drums and likes to throw me around like I’m one of his footballs?” Kurt could have sworn he’d mentioned Finn to Blaine.  
  
  
“Oh,” Blaine said, and his smile finally reached his eyes. “That guy. He doesn’t look like he has much room to talk when it comes to falling down.”  
  
  
“Yeah, he’s not the most graceful of men. Being a giant certainly doesn’t help.” Kurt smiled, glad that Blaine seemed to be cheering up. “At home, Carole – that’s his mom – made it a rule that he wasn’t allowed to walk while carrying anything breakable. That meant I ended up doing most of the dishes, but it was a small price to pay for unbroken china.”  
  
  
“I bet,” Blaine said, laughing now. “Hey, do you want to get out of here? I think if I stay and stress about the show, I’ll just freak myself out and be worse tomorrow.”  
  
  
“Sure,” Kurt said. “Coffee?”  
  
  
“Sounds great!” Blaine grinned at Kurt, and Kurt was forcibly reminded just how good-looking he was. He got up and hurried in front of Blaine so Blaine wouldn’t see his blush.  
  
  
They met at the L.A. Bean twenty minutes later, Blaine wearing a baseball cap in an attempt to go incognito. Kurt caught a couple of people looking as they stood in line to place their order, but no one came up and bothered them. Blaine paid, claiming that it was his right since Kurt was there cheering him up, and they found a table for two by the back window.  
  
  
“So what was your first performance on the show like? I figure if you’re going to get to see mine, you should at least tell me about yours. Please include all the embarrassing details.” Blaine folded his hands in front of him, obviously ready for a story.  
  
  
“You’re ridiculous,” Kurt said. “But fine, I’ll tell you. It was…not pretty, to say the least.”  
  
  
“Oh?”  
  
  
“Imagine trying to dance sexily with your grandma, who is wearing sequins and fringe, but not nearly enough of either to cover all the necessary parts.”  
  
  
“Oh, god,” Blaine said, making a face.  
  
  
“Yes, exactly like that. I’ve never been so grateful to be voted off in my life. We made it all the way to the third week, and that was quite enough.”  
  
  
“I bet it was!”  
  
  
“So really, you’re going to be a huge improvement over that. I mean, first of all, you’re not a grandma,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“True.”  
  
  
“And I suspect you have insisted on covering yourself with neither sequins nor fringe.”  
  
  
“I was thinking feathers, actually. Orange ones,” Blaine said, and they grinned at one another.  
  
  
“That sounds lovely. Maybe I should let you start designing the costumes for me and Kim.”  
  
  
“How do you feel about feathers with fringe? Perhaps in a nice chartreuse?”  
  
  
“Blaine Anderson!” Kurt gasped. “I think I’ve finally got you figured out. You lure people in with your nice guy act, and then scar them for life with horrible fashion.”  
  
  
“You’ve uncovered my secret,” Blaine said sheepishly. “I’m here to steal the costume guy’s job and bring down the show using only poor taste.”  
  
  
“Well, poor taste hasn’t managed to kill the show yet, so I think you’re out of luck. You’re just going to have to dance and see where it gets you.”  
  
  
“I suppose I can live with that,” Blaine said. He smiled at Kurt and took a sip of his coffee. Kurt tried desperately not to blush. Again.  
  
  
They spent over an hour at the coffee shop, talking and laughing. Kurt fell deeper and deeper under Blaine’s spell, but he still couldn’t tell if Blaine were interested or just overly friendly. It was making Kurt crazy.  
  
  
They finally called it a night when Kurt’s phone rang for the fifth time. It was probably Finn wondering what the plan for the next night was. Kurt had forgotten to tell him at the end of rehearsal. Blaine walked Kurt out to his car and gave him a hug, thanking him again for talking him down. He stood and waved as Kurt pulled away, but Kurt was already focused on dialing his phone.  
  
  
“Cedes? Oh thank god,” he said when she picked up. “I think I need an intervention.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's show day! The couples prepare, Kurt and Blaine talk, and there's a whole lot of dancing going on.

 

 

As the sun rose on Monday morning, Kurt headed for the beach. He liked the quiet of the streets in the pre-dawn darkness as he drove west. He loved being alone with his thoughts, knowing that the day could bring any number of things, but that he was in charge of only a few of them. He could dance well, and he could be an excellent partner. Beyond that, he had to let the day be what it would.  
  
  
He found his way to the same stretch of empty sand on premiere day every season. The trip had become the cornerstone of his pre-show ritual, centering him for the work that lay ahead. The night before had been a little stressful, considering that Blaine was throwing him off completely. Cedes had talked him down, though, and he’d gotten a decent amount of sleep. If his dreams had been filled with earnest eyes and beautiful smiles and deliciously strong shoulders, well, that couldn’t really be helped, could it? At least the dreams had been sweet. Kurt smiled impishly to himself as he dug his toes into the sand.  
  
  
He walked for half an hour, letting his mind wander and empty and fill again. The day would be a whirlwind, but the dawn was just for him. His family and friends knew to leave him alone until he got to the studio at ten, in time for a final rehearsal, dress, and the show. Even then, the pros knew to leave him alone as he got ready, and the celebs would learn soon enough. Kim was under strict instructions to meet him in one of the small rehearsal rooms at ten thirty, and their schedule was mapped out precisely from that moment on. Before they knew it, the first show would be over and they’d be headed to dinner with their families. For now, Kurt relished the anticipation amidst the quiet lap of waves on sand. Good or bad, today was the day.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Back at the studio later that morning, Kurt went about his show-day routine with cheerful efficiency. Performing live exhilarated him rather than making him nervous, which was a good thing considering the nerves he always suffered from on results show days. He was glad the first results show wouldn’t be until the following week. He and Kim ran through the dance a few times, keeping things light and easy, and then headed for wardrobe to get into their costumes for dress rehearsal. They’d gone with an electric blue and black theme, which Kurt thought was relatively flattering, even with the profusion of sequins on Kim’s barely there skirt.  
  
  
“This is so fun,” Kim said, shimmying her way down the hall toward the ballroom. “I feel like Molly, getting to play dress up!”  
  
  
“You’re absurd,” Kurt said, wrapping one arm around her waist. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.”  
  
  
“Oh, I really am. I can’t wait to get out there and show them my stuff.”  
  
  
“Let’s try to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions, shall we?” Kurt said, amused.  
  
  
“You have nothing to worry about. Sam and his crew have me so taped up and strapped down it’s going to take paint remover and a jackhammer to get me out of this thing.”  
  
  
“America’s Sweetheart, ladies and gentleman,” Kurt said, and Kim cuffed him in the ear.  
  
  
“You really have no room to talk, you know. I can see your bellybutton with the way that shirt is cut.”  
  
  
“That’s the idea, genius.”  
  
  
“Oh, it is genius,” Kim said, fluttering her lashes at him and smirking. “We’ll have all the ladies and gents drooling.”  
  
  
“If they’re not laughing too hard at our song choice and your antics to see,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“They’re going to love us.”  
  
  
“They really are.” Kurt grinned at her, and Kim grinned right back. They were ready.  
  
  
***  
  
  
With twenty minutes to go before show time, backstage was bustling and the ballroom was filled with people. From his vantage point in the wings, Kurt could see his parents settling into their customary seats in the third row. Carole looked beautiful in the merlot-colored dress Kurt had helped her pick out the last time he had been home. Two rows in front of them, Grant was wrangling Molly and Jake, who were both dressed to the nines and bouncing excitedly in their chairs. Kurt belatedly wished their seats came with seatbelts to curtail any impulses they might have to run out on the floor when their mother was dancing.  
  
  
“There’s nothing like a full house, is there?” Blaine’s voice was close, husky and quiet. Kurt turned slightly to face him, and Blaine’s ever-present smile warmed. “I love the anticipation. It’s almost better than the actual performance.”  
  
  
“I guess. But I really don’t think there’s much that’s better than dancing full out, with lights and costumes and an audience watching,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“I’ll have to try that and get back to you. In, say, two hours or so?” Blaine bumped his shoulder against Kurt’s.  
  
  
“Sounds good.” Kurt brushed a nonexistent lock of hair off his forehead and turned back to face the audience. “So do you not get nervous or what?”  
  
  
“Oh, no, I definitely get nervous. I just tend to channel it directly into my performance. Luckily I’ve learned how to tone it down over the years. My brother says I was like an insane jumping bean when I first started.” Blaine chuckled.  
  
  
“Tell me there’s video.”  
  
  
“If there is – and that’s a big if – I’ll never tell.”  
  
  
“You’re no fun,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“I have it on good authority that I’m lots of fun,” Blaine replied. Before Kurt’s mind could go down a road he definitely did not have time for, Blaine continued. “My friends have tons of stories to prove it.”  
  
  
“And these friends – are they here tonight?” Kurt looked back out into the ballroom, scanning for unfamiliar faces. “Because I might need to go over and say hello, ask them a few questions…”  
  
  
“Oh, no way,” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt by the arm as though he might go charging across the room at any second. “I only allow them to interact with new people under strictly controlled circumstances.”  
  
  
“Which means you’re bringing them out to the bar with you tonight, right?”  
  
  
“Sadly, yes.” Blaine sighed dramatically, his hand still curled, warm and distracting, around Kurt’s upper arm.  
  
  
“You do realize that once Kim gets within five feet of them, they’ll be spilling all your secrets?”  
  
  
“It won’t even take that. They’re very bad at keeping secrets and very good at embarrassing me.”  
  
  
“And here I thought tonight might be boring,” Kurt said, his head a little foggy from the proximity and the touching. Blaine’s fingers were now moving slightly on Kurt’s arm, and he could feel a blush threatening to creep up his neck.  
  
  
“That’s rarely the case when my friends are involved.” Blaine smiled and let his fingers drift down Kurt’s arm and away. “So we should probably head back before our partners come looking for us.”  
  
  
“Show’s about to start,” Kurt agreed.  
  
  
“What do you say we have some fun tonight?” Blaine asked. His usual grin took on a wicked glint. “Let’s shake things up.”  
  
  
“How about I worry about shaking it, and you worry about staying on your feet?” Kurt shot back, glancing over his shoulder at Blaine as he started heading backstage.  
  
  
“Oh, it’s like that, is it? Someone’s a little competitive.”  
  
  
“Damn right,” Kurt said, slowing a little so Blaine could catch up. “I intend to win this season, and I’m not about to let you get in my way.”  
  
  
“We’ll see about that,” Blaine said, his chin coming up.  
  
  
“We certainly will,” Kurt agreed, and they lapsed into silence as they went to find their partners. The show was starting, and the competition between them was about to heat up.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Even though he knew it was better in terms of the audience remembering them, Kurt hated dancing late in the show. Up in the Celebraquarium, the open room at the back of the ballroom where the competitors waited their turn to dance, Kim chatted easily with everyone in the cast, and Kurt paced as often as he could get away with it. When the cameras were on them, he sat obediently next to Kim or let Brit drape herself across him, a perfect show smile on his face. He clapped politely for each of the couples as they performed, throwing in a cheer or two when his friends danced. And he breathed a giant sigh of relief when the sixth couple headed down to the floor and he and Kim could slip backstage to warm up.  
  
  
“You ready, Mr. Ants-in-Your-Pants?” Kim asked as she bent at the waist, looping her arms behind her knees to stretch out.  
  
  
“Very,” Kurt said. “I hate waiting.”  
  
  
“Now there’s a shock,” Kim said dryly.  
  
  
“Oh, shut up. You’re just as anxious to get out there as I am – admit it.”  
  
  
“I really am,” Kim stood up again, a brilliant smile on her face. “Should we run it one more time?”  
  
  
“No,” Kurt decided. “You’ve got this. Just come here for a second.”  
  
  
“Sure.” Kim crowded in close, her arms wrapping around Kurt’s neck as she rested her forehead against his.  
  
  
“Ok. First things first: deep breath.” They breathed together for a minute, falling naturally in sync. “Great. Now forget everything your brain knows about technique and steps.”  
  
  
“Really?” Kim asked, but she didn’t move.  
  
  
“Absolutely. You know it all. It’s in your body; you don’t need to think about it anymore. Just dance. Now tell me who you are in this one.”  
  
  
“I’m a dancer, the best one I know. I’m hot, but I don’t have to oversell it.” Kim smiled, her eyes closed. “And I’m having the time of my life, dancing with the best partner I could ask for.”  
  
  
“Amen,” Kurt said, kissing her cheek. “And right back at you. You’re going to be incredible. Enjoy it.”  
  
  
“I plan to.” She stepped back from him, her eyes bright and twinkling. When the call came for them to take their places, she led the way onto the floor.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Dancing was Kurt’s favorite thing, but he could never quite find the words to explain the experience once it was over. Looking across at Kim as she mirrored his steps, her smile miles wide, he knew she got it. He’d never have to describe the thrill to her, because she was living it.  
  
  
She wasn’t perfect, of course. Her technique could still use some work, and her stamina for complicated choreography wasn’t where it would be in a few more weeks, but she had the spirit of it. She was a dancer, someone who loved to move. Everything else could be learned.  
  
  
When their song had first started, the audience had laughed, but then they’d grown quiet and focused, just as Kurt had intended. The idea was gimmicky, but the dancing was not. The smiles on two of the judges’ faces and the frown on the third’s told him he’d hit it just right.  
  
  
Kim whirled around him, her feet fast and sure. She was sassy and flirty and had the audience in the palm of her hand. Her grin told him and everyone watching that she was having the time of her life, but she wasn’t taking any of it too seriously. She knew how to sell it, and she knew how to have a blast in the process.  
  
  
The dance ended, the audience cheered, and Kim threw her arms around Kurt’s neck, laughing.  
  
  
“That was awesome!” she said loudly enough for the first few rows to hear. “Can we do it again?”  
  
  
“How’s next week?” Kurt asked as he steered her toward Tom and the judges.  
  
  
“Absolutely!”  
  
  
Tom was already talking, commenting on their fun routine and then throwing to Bruno at the judges’ table. Bruno, as usual, babbled nonsense, which Kurt explained to Kim in an undertone. It was never a good idea to listen to Bruno and his metaphors too closely. Len went next, calling their routine unorthodox with his lips pursed, but he went on to say he admired the development of Kim’s technique so far and thought she had a lot of potential. Kurt counted that as a win.  
  
  
And then the final judge on the panel, only in her second season with the show, leaned forward. She was scowling, but Kurt expected nothing less.  
  
  
“Porcelain,” Sue said, looking straight at Kurt. “While I appreciate that all that hairspray you use may have caused some prepubescent brain damage, that does not explain why you would dance a cha cha to a song as offensive to good taste as ‘Push It.’”  
  
  
“Oh, Kurt didn’t pick it. I did!” Kim said cheerily, before Kurt could reply. Laughter rippled through the audience.  
  
  
“Well then,” Sue said. “Your footwork didn’t make me want to gouge my eyes out with one of these ostentatious scoring paddles. I suppose you’ll do.”  
  
  
And that was that. Tom chattered for another minute, sending the show to commercial, and Kurt and Kim hustled back up to the Celebraquarium, getting high fives and hugs from the other dancers. A few minutes later, they scooped up two 7s – from Sue and Len – and an 8 from Bruno for a very respectable first score of 22. Kurt explained to Kim that a 7 from Len on the first week meant he thought she could be great. And even though they’d taken away all of Sue’s scoring paddles below a 5 after last season’s debacle, a 7 from her probably meant that Sue wasn’t going to try to destroy them.  
  
  
“And that’s good?” Kim asked as they settled down at the balcony railing to watch the final competitors.  
  
  
“That’s amazing, actually. She’s insane, but if she likes you, or at least doesn’t hate you, it really helps our chances.”  
  
  
“Ok then,” Kim said. “Ooooh, look who’s up. It’s your boyfriend!”  
  
  
“He is not my boyfriend,” Kurt muttered, watching Blaine and Bitsy make their way to the floor. “I really hope he’s better than he was at dress.”  
  
  
“Aw, look, you’re so concerned for him. It’s sweet.” Kim leaned into Kurt’s side, eyelashes fluttering.  
  
  
“I’m being a friend.”  
  
  
“You’re my friend too, right?”  
  
  
“Of course,” Kurt said, confused.  
  
  
“Well I really hope you don’t stare at my ass quite as intensely as you’re staring at his, even if it is a ‘friend’ thing,” Kim said. Kurt flushed and looked over at her.  
  
  
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” he finally said.  
  
  
“How about, ‘Yes, Kim, you are absolutely right. I totally have the hots for that scrumptious piece of mancandy, who is most definitely gay.’ Does that work?”  
  
  
“I’m getting you a muzzle.”  
  
  
“I love you too, sweetums,” Kim said, resting her cheek on Kurt’s shoulder as Blaine and Bitsy’s music started.  
  
  
The second the lights came up, Kurt was mesmerized. Blaine’s smile was brilliant, and he was dancing like he was having the time of his life. Bitsy had gone with slightly more traditional choreography, which Kurt had to admit worked for them. She hadn’t made it too easy on Blaine, either, which happened too frequently when it came to male celebs on this show. They looked great together, tiny and adorable and sassy. Kurt couldn’t help but smile and applaud as their routine ended. It was a great note for the first show to finish on.  
  
  
They did well, scoring a 22 like Kurt and Kim had. Len, always a sucker for tradition, gave them an 8, while Bruno and Sue both gave them 7s. Sue had called them tiny hobbit dancers, but Kurt was pretty sure that was almost a compliment.  
  
  
All the dancers made their way back down to the ballroom floor, standing in a semi-circle as Tom wrapped up the show. Blaine and Bitsy were directly across from Kim and Kurt. Blaine was bopping around in his own little world while Bitsy chatted to the couple next to her. Kurt smiled as Blaine did a little spin and grinned out at the audience. He really was adorable when he wasn’t being confusing and overly nice.  
  
  
Kurt was startled back into awareness of the room at large when Kim slipped her arms around his waist.  
  
  
“Good first show?” she asked.  
  
  
“Amazing first show,” Kurt said. “And just think – next week we get to do it all again.”  
  
  
“Hooray!” Kim said, and Kurt’s smile matched hers as he realized she meant it. This was going to be his best season ever, no doubt about it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the show, Kurt and Kim have dinner with their families, followed by an evening out with Blaine and his friends.

 

 

The moment the cameras turned off, Molly and Jake came barreling toward Kurt and Kim, Grant following them. Hugs, kisses, and handshakes were exchanged all around. By the time Burt and Carole made it down from their seats, Kurt was staggering around pretending to fall while Molly and Jake giggled and clung to his legs. Carole leaned down and immediately charmed the little monsters so Kurt could give his dad a hug and then introduce everyone.  
  
  
Finn came charging over a few minutes later, and his sheer size and speed seemed to intimidate Jake, who lifted his arms to Kurt to be picked up. Molly, of course, took to Finn immediately, demanding that he fly her around like an airplane.  
  
  
“I didn’t realize I was getting a world-class dance partner and babysitters out of this deal, but I like it,” Kim said.  
  
  
“Our boys are nothing if not helpful. Or at least well-meaning,” Burt said. Everyone winced as Finn flew Molly a little too close to one of the camera crews.  
  
  
“I’m the helpful one, since Finn’s cornered the market on well-meaning,” Kurt said, switching Jake to his other hip so he was a little further out of Molly’s flight line.  
  
  
“You’re terrible,” Carole said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Just like your dad.”  
  
  
“Oh!” Kim turned on Burt. “So you’re the reason Kurt’s so good at mocking me.”  
  
  
“I’m so good at mocking you because you’re easily mockable,” Kurt said, and Burt only smiled. Kim stuck her tongue out at Kurt, which made Jake giggle.  
  
  
“So, dinner?” Grant said smoothly, looking at Carole. She beamed.  
  
  
“Absolutely. I printed out the directions. We can meet you and the kids there, so Kurt and Kim have time to do all of that post-show business of theirs.”  
  
  
The group broke up, promising to meet at the restaurant in half an hour, while Kim and Kurt headed over to the press line for post-show interviews. By the time they finished, Kurt was more than ready to change out of his costume, wash all his stage makeup off, and relax with his family.  
  
  
Mercedes was waiting for him in his trailer, a habit they’d fallen into during his first season on the show. She provided her commentary on the night’s show while he headed for his tiny shower.  
  
  
“So what did you think of Kim?” Kurt asked, voice pitched over the running water.  
  
  
“She was great!” Cedes called. Kurt knew she was out there straightening his hair products and lotions. She couldn’t help herself. “She was completely charming in the rehearsal package they showed, and she danced like she was on fire and loving it. You’ll get the votes for sure.”  
  
  
“And everyone else?”  
  
  
“I’d say, offhand, that Santana and Blaine are your fiercest competition, barring any late developments. A few of the other ones, like Quinn and Puck, are decent, but they won’t be able to pull in the same kind of votes.”  
  
  
“Are you still reading those voting analysis websites, Cedes? Because you sound like a cross between a bookie and an accountant right now.”  
  
  
“Of course,” she said, looking up as he wandered back into the room, his pants on and a towel around his neck. “I need to know who to bribe so my baby boy can finally win this thing.”  
  
  
“You’re the best – willing to sacrifice your morals to augment my collection of tacky trophies.”  
  
  
“Anything for you, K.” She shook her head as he held up a shirt and tie combo for her consideration. “Sexier, babydoll. You can wear a jacket for dinner, but then we are going out!”  
  
  
“Yes ma’am.”  
  
  
“In fact…” She stuck her head into his makeshift closet, emerging with a dark gray, short-sleeved shirt. “This one. All those snaps and buttons and zippers will just make the boys want to figure out how to take it off you.”  
  
  
“I swear you’re getting saucier as you get older,” Kurt said, but he dutifully took the shirt from her and put it on. “Good?”  
  
  
“Delicious! Kim will approve.”  
  
  
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”  
  
  
“Oh, you know you love it, all of us fussing over you. And you’d better behave, or Kim and I will tell your dad about the torch you’re carrying for the cast’s newest boytoy.”  
  
  
“And now you sound eighty. Also, mean. I’m going to forbid you to hang out with Kim in a second,” Kurt said, sitting down so Cedes could fuss with his hair.  
  
  
Once she was satisfied with the way he looked, Cedes let Kurt escort her over to the parking lot, where they were meeting Kim and the car service. Kurt listened to the two women chat on the way to the restaurant, secretly thrilled that they got along so well. Though he’d never had the experience before, he thought that Kim was a partner he’d stay close to even after the show ended. She was like the big sister he’d never needed, and he adored her.  
  
  
“So,” Kim said when they were halfway there. “I hear you had a hot date the other night, Miss Mercedes.”  
  
  
“Oh, look, she takes an inappropriate interest in everyone’s love lives, not just mine,” Kurt said, which earned him an eyeroll.  
  
  
“Don’t think you’re off the hook, mister. I will be watching you closely when we go out tonight,” Kim said.  
  
  
“You’re coming?” Cedes asked.  
  
  
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss a chance to have fun with you guys.”  
  
  
“You mean meddle,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Well, that too. Speaking of…” Kim turned back to Cedes, taking her hands. “Tell me everything!”  
  
  
“It was great. Sam is great,” Cedes said, blushing a little. “He’s a total gentleman. He’s also kind of a giant dork, but it’s endearing. We went to see some sci-fi movie he had to explain to me, and then he took me out for the best dinner.”  
  
  
“And then?” Kim prompted.  
  
  
“He walked me to my door and kissed me in the moonlight. And then he said goodnight.”  
  
  
“So, straight but old-fashioned?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Just how I like them,” Cedes confirmed, grinning.  
  
  
“Is he coming tonight?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“That’s the plan. He said he’d meet me at the club. Oh, Kurt, I didn’t even get to tell you this yet, but he sent me flowers yesterday.”  
  
  
“Well that officially makes him a keeper,” Kim said, and Kurt agreed.  
  
  
They pulled up at the restaurant then and were ushered past the few photographers stationed outside. Grant, the kids, the Hudson-Hummels, and Rachel were at a big table in the back, having what sounded like a fabulous time. Grant rose when he spotted them, a champagne flute in each hand for the competitors, while Carole and Burt got up to hug Mercedes and insist she sit next to them.  
  
  
Molly and Jake had already started on their dinners, because Grant was planning to get them home at a decent hour. They’d saved a seat for Kurt between them, which he took with good grace. They told him all about their adventure at the show around bites of mac and cheese. Apparently, it had been the most awesome day ever, and they couldn’t wait to go again soon.  
  
  
Across the table, Rachel was leaning into Finn as they discussed that week’s music with Carole, who was still impressed with how many songs they had to learn for each show. Burt was talking a mixture of cars and politics with Grant and Cedes, while Kim conferred with the waiter about wine selections for the table. Kurt sat back for a minute, taking in how well all these people that he loved and respected got along. He knew he was lucky, particularly in the way his career had taken off, but it was when he was with his friends and family that he felt the luckiest.  
  
  
Grant made his excuses twenty minutes later when Jake started yawning and Molly started whining. Kim promised them pancakes for brunch the next day, since she and Kurt wouldn’t be rehearsing until the afternoon, which perked Jake up and made Molly more amenable. Molly gave everyone at the table a goodnight hug, while Jake clung to his dad and waved instead.  
  
  
Once they’d gone, Kim switched seats so she could chat with Carole, Mercedes moved down by Finn and Rachel, and Burt moved over to sit with Kurt.  
  
  
“Good show, bud,” Burt said once he’d settled in. “You know I still don’t know that much about dancing, but even I know quality when I see it.”  
  
  
“Thanks,” Kurt said. “Kim’s doing great. It’s a lot of fun to work with someone with so much potential.”  
  
  
“I bet. And how are you otherwise?” As always, his dad cut right to the chase.  
  
  
“I’m ok. I promise. The last six weeks have been busy and interesting, and before that, well. It was really good to come home for a while, after everything.”  
  
  
“It was good to have you there. I still say that guy was a jackass for not appreciating you the way he should have,” Burt said fiercely.  
  
  
“Dad, I’m not seventeen anymore. I don’t need you to defend me.”  
  
  
“I’ll stop defending you when this old heart stops beating for good, and not a minute before. You’re my kid. That’s how it works.”  
  
  
“Thanks, Dad.” Kurt knew when to back down gracefully, and this was one battle his dad was always going to win.  
  
  
“I may be a little bit biased, but you’re a pretty great kid. You deserve someone equally great.”  
  
  
“You keep telling me that.”  
  
  
“And I’ll keep doing it until you believe me.”  
  
  
“Just so long as you don’t start matchmaking,” Kurt said, thinking of Kim and Mercedes’ version of being supportive.  
  
  
“Why would I do that?” Burt looked perplexed. “I expect you’re capable of that sort of thing.”  
  
  
“And I appreciate your vote of confidence,” Kurt said, taking another sip of wine.  
  
  
“Got your eye on anybody?” Burt said, and Kurt marveled once again at how far his dad had come over the years when it came to discussing his dating life.  
  
  
“No. Well, not exactly,” Kurt admitted. “It’s complicated.”  
  
  
“That’s the thing,” Burt said, looking across the table at Carole. “When it comes to real love, the kind you want to hang onto and fight for, it’s complicated, but it’s also the simplest thing in the world. Don’t make it harder than it has to be.”  
  
  
“I’ll do my best.”  
  
  
“That’s all you can do. You’ll be alright.” Burt patted Kurt’s arm, and he felt more at ease than he had in a while.  
  
  
***  
  
  
An hour later, after saying goodnight to Carole and Burt, they headed to the club to meet the rest of the cast and their friends for the first Monday night outing of the season. It was already packed with cast and crew when they got there, and their arrival was heralded with cheers and drinks all around. Sam popped up and asked Mercedes to dance, and Finn and Rachel decided to try the dance floor as well. That left Kurt with Kim, who immediately dragged him over to the group of tables where the celebs and pros were holding court. Blaine, who was rosy-cheeked and obviously tipsy, waved them over and made room for them on his banquette. Kim shoved Kurt in first with a grin and immediately began introducing herself to Blaine’s friends. It seemed like he’d brought his entire band as well as his best friend, a girl named Annie, who wasn’t anything like Kurt had expected.  
  
  
Annie was obviously tall, for starters, her long legs stretched out underneath the table. And she was wearing a flowy dress that ended at her knees and wouldn’t have looked out of place at Woodstock. Her hair fell in a dark sheet to the middle of her back, both wrists were covered in bangles, and her lip was pierced. She couldn’t have been more different from Blaine if she tried. Her appearance and her obvious affection for her best friend made Kurt reconsider his assumptions about Blaine. From what he was learning, Blaine was a man with a lot of subtle layers, which only made him more interesting in Kurt’s eyes.  
  
  
Kim was quickly coaxing hilarious Blaine stories out of Annie and their other friends, which made everyone laugh and Blaine slump down against Kurt’s shoulder, trying to hide his face. Kurt, already warm from the wine he’d had at dinner, flushed as Blaine wrapped both arms around one of his and burrowed further into his neck.  
  
  
“Did we mention that Blaine gets inappropriately cuddly when subjected to alcohol and embarrassment?” Annie asked.  
  
  
“Remember that time in Austin when he spent an entire evening sitting in some girl’s lap, talking about pretty green eyes?” said Jeff, one of Blaine’s backup singers. “No one had the heart to tell her he was going on about an ex. I think the poor girl tried to follow us back to the hotel. We had to talk Blaine out of mentioning anyone with green eyes in his next album, or we would have had a stalker on our hands.”  
  
  
“Aw, Blainers,” Kim said. “Did someone break your sweet little heart?”  
  
  
Blaine blinked owlishly at her and reached for his drink but didn’t say anything.  
  
  
“Yeah, that guy was an asshole,” Jeff said, and Kurt jerked to attention. Beside him, Kim punched her fist in the air.  
  
  
“Yes! Kurt Hummel, you owe me twenty bucks!” Kim said, and Kurt groaned.  
  
  
“Blaine, did you forget to tell the nice people you only like girls as friends?” Annie asked.  
  
  
“Oops?” he said, leaning his head on his hand and smiling at her.  
  
  
“We’ve talked about this, lovey. People aren’t very good guessers when it comes to you, heaven knows why.”  
  
  
“I told you!” Kim said to Kurt, and she signaled the waitress for another round. “You’re buying this one, loser.”  
  
  
The drinks came, and Kurt helped himself to his and Blaine’s for good measure. He figured the only way to deal with a somewhat drunk, rather clingy, and very gay Blaine was with lots of alcohol.  
  
  
Thirty minutes and two more cocktails later, Kurt was nice and floaty and not minding at all that he’d lost the bet. Blaine was draped across him, chatting with Kim, and it was all Kurt could do not to nuzzle into him and close his eyes. Blaine was adorable and hot and cuddly and apparently really, really gay. Kurt liked that.  
  
  
“Champ, I think it’s time to pour you into the car and take you home,” Kim said, pulling Kurt away from his careful study of the way Blaine’s hair was beginning to curl behind his ears. “We have rehearsal tomorrow.”  
  
  
“You’re making pancakes,” Kurt said. “For Jake and Molly. I love them. They’re so cute.”  
  
  
“Yeah,” Blaine said, as Kim manhandled him into an upright position so she could extract Kurt. “And you. You read to them. I helped.”  
  
  
“You did,” Kurt said, and grinned at him. His face felt all funny, which made him giggle.  
  
  
“Ok, Drunky McFlirtyPants, say goodnight.” Kim pulled Kurt up behind her and turned him back toward the table.  
  
  
“Goodnight.” He waved obediently, his eyes not leaving Blaine’s until Kim led him away.  
  
  
“Just so you know, nothing will stop me from mocking you mercilessly tomorrow. And you won’t be able to say a thing, because you’re going to be grateful I sent you home before you did something stupid,” Kim told him once they were in the car.  
  
  
“But I was having fun,” Kurt whined.  
  
  
“Trust me – one night of confused drunken cuddling in public is not nearly as great as what you might get up to with that boy when you’re both sober and thinking clearly.”  
  
  
“You just made a sex joke,” Kurt said and giggled again.  
  
  
“Sure I did,” Kim said, patting his knee. “You keep thinking that and laughing, and I’ll make sure you get through this in one piece.”  
  
  
“’Kay,” Kurt said, drifting down to rest his cheek on Kim’s shoulder. A moment later, he was asleep, and he didn’t wake up until Kim had gotten him home.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt practices avoidance, gets some dance therapy, and finally has an important talk with Blaine.

 

 

For the next two days, Kurt avoided Blaine. He wasn’t proud of it, but it seemed like the only solution at the moment. He’d woken Tuesday morning in his clothes from the night before, a little hung-over but remarkably clear-headed. He’d promised himself some time alone this season, without boys to complicate things, and Blaine being gay didn’t change that. Sure, Blaine being cute and around and pretty damn flirtatious made his self-imposed break a little harder to maintain, but Kurt had self-control. He could handle this, even if it required rehearsing at a studio across town and ducking out on a few cast member bonding sessions.  
  
  
Kim had very patiently let Kurt drag her through their mambo choreography over and over until it was nearly perfect and he couldn’t avoid talking to her any longer. And then she’d had dinner brought in on Wednesday night so that they could have a little privacy while Kurt spilled his guts, talking for hours about his past and his future, his hopes and his fears. She listened, she teased, and she offered advice, and Kurt was once again grateful that he’d landed her as a partner.  
  
  
Thursday morning, feeling a little more confident and settled, Kurt got to the main studio on set two hours before Kim was due to meet him. He’d been neglecting his own technique while he’d been working on hers, and he needed some time in the studio to get fully back to himself.  
  
  
He started with rumba, needing to feel the give and take that it required even when he wasn’t dancing with a partner. Out and in, across and back down he went, feeling his hips roll in their sockets, his arms glide like water across space and air. He closed his eyes and let himself follow the music, moving with it as it flowed through the room and his body.  
  
  
Ten minutes on, loose and centered, Kurt switched to waltz, which required more thought and control but always seemed to help him think. He started with a slow one, carefully calibrating his stops and turns with the lilting rhythm. He gave it all his focus, letting his brain quiet as images cascaded behind his still-shut lids. This was his time for contemplation, his moving meditation. He was so in the moment that he barely noticed when someone slipped into his arms and began to move with him.  
  
  
The song came to an end, another one starting. Kurt opened his eyes and looked down to find Tina smiling up at him. She did this from time to time, showing up at the perfect moment and letting him dance out whatever was bothering him. She knew when to be quiet, knew when to be the brush he painted with as he led her around the floor. He smiled at her and swept her into the faster waltz now playing, knowing she would keep up.  
  
  
They spun, and Kurt’s mind spun just as fast, trying to settle a million questions about attraction and proximity and affection and stability in the course of a single song. His thoughts settled on one image – his father looking at Carole as he talked about love being true. Kurt wanted that, someday, the kind of love that made his smile brighter and his life more balanced. He looked back down at Tina, thinking about the way she and Mike fit so well and were such a great team. He hoped he could do that, could have that. One day, when the moment was right, he told himself he would.  
  
  
One more song, one more turn around the floor, and Kurt felt certain that he was right to wait. Blaine was nothing but a beautiful distraction, not someone who had any interest in loving Kurt the way he wanted to be loved, publicly and fully. They could be friends, perhaps, even flirt a little when the moment warranted it, but nothing more. Kurt was done with gorgeous boys who couldn’t find it in themselves to be honest in public.  
  
  
Kurt drew himself and Tina to a stop as the music wound down. She was still smiling at him, waiting for him to talk first.  
  
  
“Thanks, T,” Kurt said, bending to kiss her cheek. “I needed that.”  
  
  
“Anytime. You looked like you could use a dance buddy.”  
  
  
“I did,” he confirmed.  
  
  
“So how about a dance for me, now?”  
  
  
“Of course. Quickstep?” Kurt asked, knowing her favorite routine of theirs. When she nodded, he walked over to the sound system to cue up the proper song. It was, as the name suggested, a fast one, light and lively and fun. It required precise footwork and impeccable timing, which was what they both loved about it. As the music began, Kurt returned to Tina, offering her a dramatic bow before taking her in his arms. A measure passed, and then they were off, flying across the floor.  
  
  
They came to a halt three minutes later, flushed and laughing. It took Kurt a moment to realize they had an audience of one.  
  
  
“So that’s what it’s supposed to look like,” Blaine said from the doorway. He took a few steps into the room. “Elizabeth keeps trying to describe the end result of the quickstep, but so far mine hasn’t looked anything like that.”  
  
  
“It gets easier,” Tina said, once she realized Kurt wasn’t going to reply. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it in plenty of time for Monday’s show.”  
  
  
“I hope so,” Blaine said, his eyes on Kurt, who was busying himself with pulling water from his dance bag. Tina took the hint and headed for the door, running her hand across Kurt’s back as she passed.  
  
  
“You’ll be great,” Tina said as she walked by Blaine. She glanced back at Kurt. “You both will. See you!”  
  
  
Kurt listened to her footsteps recede down the hall before standing up to face Blaine again.  
  
  
“Hi,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Hello.” Kurt sipped his water and waited.  
  
  
“So I, um, yeah,” Blaine began, stumbling over his words. “The other day. I feel like I should explain myself.”  
  
  
“You don’t have to worry about me saying anything. Or Kim either, I’m sure.” Kurt turned away to stretch at the barre, watching Blaine in the mirror. “I don’t out people, Blaine.”  
  
  
“I’m not concerned about that, actually.”  
  
  
“No?” Kurt said, and he imagined that Blaine could hear the slight judgment in his tone.  
  
  
“Listen.” Blaine sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which Kurt was beginning to realize was his go-to nervous gesture. “It’s complicated. I know that’s what everyone says, but for me it really has been. My family is…not the easiest, so I’ve always kept a kind of low profile. And when I began to hit it big, people working with me thought it might be best if things stayed that way. I went along with it, because it just seemed simpler. Even if I were straight, I wouldn’t talk about my private life in public.”  
  
  
“I’d say that I understand, but I don’t, not really. I can’t, because hiding who I am hasn’t exactly been an option for me.” He stood up fully from his stretch, propping one hand on his hip and catching Blaine’s eye in the mirror. “I’ve been with guys who tried to convince me otherwise, but let’s just say that didn’t work out too well.”  
  
  
“I’m sorry,” Blaine said, and Kurt wasn’t entirely certain which thing he was apologizing for.  
  
  
“It’s ok. It’s just somewhat unexpected, I guess. I’m usually in the know about this sort of thing, even if the general public isn’t.” Kurt turned to face Blaine again, leaning on his elbows against the barre.  
  
  
“Like I said, I’m pretty private. I keep to my close friends, and I’m busy touring all the time. There’s not much opportunity for scandal.”  
  
  
“Pity,” Kurt said with a wry smile. “The tabloids would certainly love it.”  
  
  
“Yeah, that’s definitely not my thing.” Blaine wrinkled his nose in distaste.  
  
  
“So no dramatic love triangles or children out of wedlock for you?” Kurt joked.  
  
  
“No, thanks. I’ll stick with albums and stories about my music career.”  
  
  
“How boring and professional of you.”  
  
  
They shared a smile as Blaine stepped up next to Kurt, holding the barre with both hands.  
  
  
“I don’t mean to hide, you know? Or really even want to. But once it got started, and everyone just assumed they knew who I was, I didn’t know when or how to correct them,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“It becomes a bigger deal when you don’t lead with it,” Kurt agreed.  
  
  
“Exactly. So now my life is boiled down to a dramatic press release, and that just feels so inauthentic – “  
  
  
“Like the life of a pop star is filled with authenticity?” Kurt teased.  
  
  
“Oh, shut up. You know what I mean.” Blaine shifted next to him. “Besides, you know the second question would be ‘so who are you dating?’ And I don’t exactly have an answer to that.”  
  
  
“No?” Kurt was getting all sorts of interesting information today.  
  
  
“No time. And I’m not really into casual hook-ups.”  
  
  
“Are you sure you’re allowed to be a musician? Don’t they take your membership card away for that?”  
  
  
“You’d think. Maybe that’s what’s holding me back.” Blaine grinned. “I just need to have a few orgies, and I’ll become the modern day equivalent of the Stones.”  
  
  
“I’ll be sure to alert the press.”  
  
  
“Oh, god, please don’t. My fans are already bad enough.”  
  
  
“You totally have a room in your house filled with weird stuffed animals and macaroni sculptures of your face, don’t you?” Kurt asked, smirking.  
  
  
“You’re horrible,” Blaine said. “And no, I don’t. I make my manager deal with all that. I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s for.”  
  
  
“Poor guy. I hope you pay him well. Though maybe you shouldn’t, considering he’s probably one of the geniuses behind you being in the closet.”  
  
  
“Ouch. You don’t pull your punches, do you?”  
  
  
“Sorry,” Kurt said, putting his hand over Blaine’s briefly. “That was probably out of line. I just feel pretty strongly about it.”  
  
  
“Apparently.”  
  
  
“My last boyfriend was a massive closet case,” Kurt said bluntly. “I may still have a few negative feelings about the whole subject.”  
  
  
“You may?” Blaine asked.  
  
  
“Fine. I definitely do, but for good reason. Maybe someday you can buy me a drink or five, and I’ll tell you all about it.”  
  
  
“Deal.” Blaine grinned again, but then his smile faltered. “So are we ok?”  
  
  
“We’re fine, Blaine.” Kurt stood up, pacing away from the barre. “We weren’t ever not fine. Are you always this overly cautious?”  
  
  
“I don’t like upsetting people if I can help it. And I’d like to think we’re friends.” His voice was so hopeful that Kurt nodded. “Great. That’s good. Because this dancing thing is kind of terrifying, and I can use all the friends I can get.”  
  
  
“Don’t you dare use me to try to win this thing, Anderson.”  
  
  
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t, I –“  
  
  
“Blaine, I was kidding.” Kurt reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder.  
  
  
“Right. Of course.” Blaine smiled bashfully. It was more adorable than should be allowed. That was the only excuse Kurt had for what came out of his mouth next.  
  
  
“I can help you, if you need it. I mean, much as I’m loath to admit it, Bitsy’s a good teacher, but sometimes it helps to learn from another guy.”  
  
  
“Really? That would be amazing.”  
  
  
“Sure.” Kurt shrugged. “Just so long as it doesn’t conflict with my rehearsal schedule.”  
  
  
“Thank you!” Blaine pulled Kurt into an abrupt hug.  
  
  
“You’re welcome,” Kurt said shakily once Blaine had released him.  
  
  
“So I should probably go. Elizabeth will be looking for me. But maybe we could get together tomorrow after rehearsal? I’ll even buy you dinner after!”  
  
  
Kurt barely had a chance to agree before Blaine was heading for the door. He turned back once he got there, smiling that warm, melting smile Kurt could feel all the way to his toes.  
  
  
“Bring something nice to change into. I know this great restaurant we have to try.”  
  
  
And then he was gone, and Kurt was left with a silent studio and a million questions running through his head. Kim would be there within a half hour, and Kurt figured he’d spend the entire time trying to sort through what had just happened, and whether or not he’d just been asked out on a date by the cutest, most ridiculous guy he’d ever met.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt attempts to answer that all-important question: Is it a date, or isn't it?

 

 

“It’s not a date. I don’t think,” Kurt said to Kim, Mercedes, and Tina over coffee and egg-white omelets the next morning. Kim had listened to him dither for over an hour at the beginning of their rehearsal the day before, and then had called an emergency breakfast meeting.  
  
  
“It’s dressing up for dinner out on a Friday night, Kurt. It’s a date,” Cedes said, shaking her head at him.  
  
  
“But it’s just him thanking me for helping –”  
  
  
“Which is a whole other thing you never do, but we won’t get into that now,” Cedes replied. “Anyway. As I was saying: date.”  
  
  
“Maybe?” Kurt made a face at the three women staring at him.  
  
  
“Definitely,” Kim said.  
  
  
“Maybe he just really likes to try new restaurants and no one else was free?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Yes, obviously.” Kim rolled her eyes. “Don’t be purposely obtuse. It’s a date. It may have involved the lamest, least obvious ask in the history of dates, but it’s a date.”  
  
  
“I’m with Kim on this one,” Tina said, effectively killing Kurt’s hope for an ally in this conversation. “We know for sure he likes boys now, and he asked you to dinner. I know it was couched as a thank you, but maybe he’s just the worst romantic in history.”  
  
  
“Which I know you find endearing,” Cedes said, brandishing a finger at Kurt, “so don’t even start.”  
  
  
“Maybe I should start hanging out with boys more often,” Kurt muttered.  
  
  
“Like who? Maks? Your brother? I’d love to see you try to get a useful response about this out of either one of them,” Cedes said. Kurt had to admit she had a point.  
  
  
“Kurtsie,” Kim said, somehow managing to make the nickname sound affectionate rather than appalling. “We just want what’s best for you, and what’s best for you is not freaking out about what this is.”  
  
  
“What’s best is going out with Blaine, having an amazing time, and not stressing,” Tina said firmly. “It’s not like you have to marry the boy. Just go have some fun. You deserve it.”  
  
  
“I guess,” Kurt said, knowing it was a lost cause. All three of them cheered. “God, first I have to get through a rehearsal with him. What was I thinking?”  
  
  
“You were thinking, ‘wow, that boy has a – ’” Kim began.  
  
  
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Kurt said. “Just wish me luck and do not judge me if I text or call in a panic later tonight. All of you.”  
  
  
“It’ll be fine,” Tina said.  
  
  
“You’ll have a great time,” Cedes said.  
  
  
“Get it, Kurtsie!” was Kim’s idea of words of wisdom. Somehow, her response was the one that made Kurt feel less stressed.  
  
  
***  
  
  
At five o’clock, Kim gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek and whispered “Fortitude!” in his ear before she winked and headed home. Kurt turned on some lovely, familiar classical music and anchored himself at the barre while he waited for Blaine to be done. He figured he might as well get in some ballet work while he had the time.  
  
  
Kurt was well into his own head and his grand battements when Blaine wandered in, indicating with a wave of his hand that Kurt should finish. Kurt completed his kicks and turned into perfect first position to face Blaine.  
  
  
“Do you ever stop dancing?” Blaine asked, fishing his dance shoes out of his bag.  
  
  
“Not if I can help it, no. I think it’s my natural state of being.”  
  
  
“It’s not a bad one to be stuck with. My brother would probably say that my natural state of being is spazz,” Blaine said, grinning. “As a kid, I was very bad at sitting down and shutting up.”  
  
  
“ Like you’re better at that now?”  
  
  
“Touché.”  
  
  
“So,” Kurt said, after they’d exhausted their current quota of staring at one another stupidly. “How can I help?”  
  
  
“My frame, probably. Elizabeth even broke out that medieval torture device the other day, but I don’t think I totally get it yet.”  
  
  
“Uh oh – the posture bar is never a good sign. Were you slouching?” Kurt asked, walking around Blaine and studying his shoulders with a professional interest, for once.  
  
  
“Maybe?” Blaine hunched defensively, and Kurt saw his problem.  
  
  
“I’m not a fan of the posture bar, myself,” Kurt said, watching from behind Blaine until he relaxed and stood up. “I think it makes dancers paranoid rather than teaching them to ease into the proper position. It feels a little awkward at first, of course, but it shouldn’t be the thing you’re focused on when you’re dancing.”  
  
  
“Did you know you sound a little pedantic when you’re teaching?” Blaine asked, catching Kurt’s eye in the mirror.  
  
  
“I think I’ve heard that before, yes.” Kurt smiled as he stepped closer and smoothed his hands across Blaine’s shoulders. Blaine tensed and then relaxed into his natural line. “Good. Now, elbows up and settle back into your shoulders rather than fighting against them.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Blaine said, and Kurt could feel him taking slow, deep breaths as he crowded close to help Blaine find his frame.  
  
  
“How does that feel?” Kurt asked, his fingers making minute adjustments to Blaine’s elbows and wrists. Now focused on teaching, Kurt noted absently that Blaine’s arms were just as strong and lovely as they looked.  
  
  
“Good. Better.”  
  
  
“Excellent. Now your head.” Kurt moved around to face Blaine, touching his jaw lightly to guide it as Blaine turned his head. “Nice. Ease into it, rather than forcing yourself to stay that way.”  
  
  
Kurt walked around Blaine one more time, giving Blaine a chance to turn off his brain and engage his arms and neck.  
  
  
“You’re doing great,” Kurt said as he swung into follow position. He grinned when Blaine took his hand without question. “Now keep that feeling and direct us around the floor. Don’t worry about steps. Just move and see what happens.”  
  
  
Blaine moved, hesitantly at first, but then with more confidence when Kurt followed his lead. He tensed up a little, but Kurt just nudged him in the back to get him to relax.  
  
  
“The thing to remember about the quickstep is that nothing should be happening from the waist up. You should be kind of like a swan swimming,” Kurt said. “All the action should happen below the waterline.”  
  
  
“That’s the part that makes no sense. How do you keep half of yourself still while the other half is running?” Blaine sounded frustrated, but he kept moving.  
  
  
“It’s all in the knees. The plie is your friend, Blaine.”  
  
  
“Ballet again? Maybe I should go find some pink shoes and a tutu.” Blaine said sardonically.  
  
  
“Will you look at that, ladies and gentlemen: the pop star is capable of sarcasm!” Kurt laughed delightedly, and Blaine stopped them so he could whack Kurt on the arm.  
  
  
Still chuckling, Kurt gave Blaine a few more pointers about his form. Then he stopped talking and let Blaine steer them around the room for a while. Blaine was humming quietly, which Kurt thought was far better than counting out loud, a habit he’d had to break Kim of during their first two weeks of rehearsal.  
  
  
“Much better,” Kurt said when they came to a stop a few minutes later. “I think you might survive week two after all.”  
  
  
“Was that a concern?” Blaine asked. Apparently his facility with sarcasm was going to be a recurring theme for the evening.  
  
  
“Considering how both Matt and Rory danced on Monday night, I’m thinking no.”  
  
  
“Good to know I’m not hopeless.”  
  
  
“You’re far from hopeless,” Kurt said. In this scenario, he was the hopeless one, offering to spend lots of alone time with a guy he should really be trying to avoid. “In fact, I shouldn’t be helping you at all.”  
  
  
“There’s that competitive streak again,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“You’ll find that it rarely goes away. That’s why I was so successful at competitions.”  
  
  
“And why your last few seasons have been so frustrating?” Blaine asked astutely.  
  
  
“Something like that, yes.” The fact that Blaine could read him so well was discomfiting. Kurt stepped away to get a little space. “So, anything else you want to work on before my magnanimity reaches its limit?”  
  
  
“Well, there’s this one string of footwork I can’t quite get up to speed,” Blaine said, and they were off and running, focused again on the task at hand.  
  
  
***  
  
  
An hour and a half later, after quick showers and a fight about who would drive, they were speeding along in Blaine’s car up into the hills. Blaine wouldn’t tell Kurt where they were headed, which was making Kurt crazy.  
  
  
“You’re not allergic to anything, right?” Blaine asked, and Kurt shook his head. “Good. And you’re not averse to trying new things. I know that from New York. So relax and trust me.”  
  
  
“Fine.” Kurt crossed his arms over his chest, and then reached out to fiddle with the radio when Blaine didn’t say anything more. A few minutes later, Blaine pulled up to what looked like… “A taco truck, Blaine? Really?”  
  
  
“Not exactly,” Blaine said, swinging out of the car and coming around to Kurt’s door before Kurt stopped staring at the sight in front of him. Blaine held the door open with a flourish and a silly smile. “It started as a taco truck, but then it found a slightly more permanent home.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Kurt said, following as Blaine stopped by the front of the truck to grab menus, and then led them around the back. “Oh my god.”  
  
  
“I know, right?” Blaine was grinning now, taking in the charming little patio tables and the fairy lights hanging in the trees. Beyond the little grove where the tables sat, the lights of the city were just visible, distant and beautiful. “It’s one of those magic places that not enough people know about, but I don’t really want to tell them and spoil the secret.”  
  
  
“I can see why.” Kurt took his seat and accepted a menu from Blaine. “How did you find this place?”  
  
  
“I like exploring, and I like eating well. I was out driving one day, just clearing my head, and I saw the truck. It was one of the best stops I’ve ever made. Wait until you taste the food.”  
  
  
They ordered two different entrees and guacamole to share, because Blaine insisted a trip to a taco truck wasn’t complete without lots of avocados. The place even made margaritas, which were amazing, though Kurt limited himself to just one.  
  
  
“This is ridiculously delicious,” Kurt said, savoring another bite of his fish tacos. “If the pop star gig ever gets old, you could totally host one of those food shows on the Travel Channel.”  
  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Blaine said. “I’m glad you like it.”  
  
  
“I definitely do. I’m almost serious about the future career. I mean, being a huge star with legions of adoring fans can’t be all it’s cracked up to be,” Kurt joked.  
  
  
“You’d be surprised, actually,” Blaine said, looking down as he considered the second half of his burrito. “It gets tiring sometimes – all the traveling and interviews and concerts night after night. And it can be weirdly lonely.”  
  
  
“Even with your friends in the band?” Kurt asked, and Blaine nodded.  
  
  
“That probably sounds stupid and ungrateful, but I miss having home be a place I go to every night – or even on a regular basis. And I miss the time and space to write songs and live my life a little.”  
  
  
“I think I know what you mean. That’s part of why I stopped competing and took this job. It’s busy, but I get to have friends and family and a life here. I mean, as annoying as he is, it’s nice to see my brother at work and around. And I’ve had way too much fun decorating my place, but it’s the first one that’s been truly mine, and I love that.”  
  
  
“I bet.” Blaine was resting his head on one hand, watching Kurt as he talked. “I’ve been looking at houses here, actually. Haven’t told the guys yet, but I think I could use a home base. And a break.”  
  
  
“Well, if you need any decorating help, I’d be happy to boss you around.”  
  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Blaine smiled sheepishly. “God, sorry, that was getting a little melancholy for dinner a la taco truck, wasn’t it? This was supposed to be fun.”  
  
  
“It is,” Kurt assured him. “Thanks for bringing me.”  
  
  
“Any time. And before you even try it, I’m paying. You taught; I buy. That’s how this is going down.”  
  
  
“You’re bossy.”  
  
  
“So are you. That’s why I’m preempting you this time.”  
  
  
“Have you been taking lessons from Kim or something?” Kurt asked. “Because that does not bode well for me.”  
  
  
“I’ll never tell!” Blaine called as he got up to pay the bill.  
  
  
They settled into casual conversation as Blaine drove them back to the lot so Kurt could pick up his car. Blaine didn’t get out with him this time, leaning across the console to give Kurt a quick hug and a brilliant smile instead. He waited until Kurt was in his car and followed him out, beeping once and waving as they turned in different directions. Kurt drove home smiling and singing along to the radio, feeling perfectly content even though he still didn’t know if he’d just been on a date or not.  
  
  
If it had been a date, it had been the most smoothly executed first date he’d ever experienced – good food, great conversation, and no awkward pauses. And if it hadn’t been, it had still been a wonderful time with someone who was rapidly becoming a close friend. Kurt knew he’d end up spending half the weekend detailing and arguing over the evening he’d just had once his friends got hold of him, so for now he held the memory close, turning it over in his own mind. It had been a great night. When he got home, he took a second to text Blaine and tell him so. Within a few minutes, he got a response back.  
  
  
“ _I think so too. :) We should do it again sometime soon._ ”  
  
  
There was only one response Kurt could think of for that.  
  
  
“ _Absolutely._ ”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes, the boys grow closer, Blaine hates the jive, and Kurt provides some unorthodox help.

 

 

The next week rushed by in a blur. Before he knew it, Kurt had successfully gotten Kim through their mambo and had clapped harder than anyone else when Blaine absolutely nailed his quickstep. Both couples sailed through the first elimination on Tuesday night – Sugar and Derek got sent home – and had joined the cast and crew for a celebratory night out before buckling down for week three.  
  
  
The dances for the third week were Viennese waltz and jive – one of Kurt’s favorites paired with the one dance he had the most trouble with. Viennese waltz was gorgeous, but jive just wasn’t made for taller people. Luckily, Kim and Kurt would be waltzing, while Blaine and Bitsy would be jiving. Kurt might have teased Blaine about his height advantage in the jive a time or two, during one of their increasingly frequent outings for delicious food that Blaine had discovered in random spots around LA.  
  
  
Kim had tortured Kurt for a solid two days following his outing with Blaine on Friday night, and she found new fodder every time Kurt came back from lunch with Blaine smiling and laughing about whatever they’d been discussing. All of his girls had decided that their “outings,” as Kurt called them, were actually dates, and they refused to hear otherwise. In fact, one morning when Blaine showed up to the studio with coffee for Kurt and a copy of a book they’d been discussing the day before for him to read, Tina had pulled Kurt aside and announced that Blaine was courting him. Kurt had been about to argue, but Brit had floated by and told him that Blaine was really nice and Kurt should let him. He hadn’t known what to say after that.  
  
  
The following day, two days before the performance show, Kurt and Kim were coming out of a particularly successful waltz rehearsal when they found Blaine slumped in the hallway, head in his hands. Bitsy was nowhere to be found.  
  
  
Kim slid down next to Blaine, putting her arm around him and cooing motherly words of concern. When Kurt didn’t move, she pulled Blaine closer and shot Kurt a look. He sighed, resigned, and sat down on Blaine’s other side.  
  
  
“What happened, Blainers?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“The jive hates me.”  
  
  
“Join the club,” Kurt muttered, and Kim shot him a look.  
  
  
“You’re probably just tired. You should take it easy tonight, and I’m sure tomorrow’s rehearsal will be wonderful.”  
  
  
Blaine sighed, looking so abjectly pitiful that Kurt’s heart twisted in his chest. Those sad eyes just did something to him.  
  
  
“Hey,” Kurt said, taking one of Blaine’s hands in his and ignoring Kim’s smile. “How about I return the favor and feed you for once? I know a place I think you’ll like.”  
  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
  
“Definitely.” Kurt reached behind Blaine and pinched Kim in the arm when she started to snicker. “And then you can tell me all about it or drown your sorrows in a glass of wine. I’ll even take your side against the jive, because the jive is a jerk.”  
  
  
“Ok.”  
  
  
Kurt and Kim hauled Blaine to his feet, and Kim wrapped him in a hug, promising that she’d do ridiculous things at the rehearsal the next day just for his entertainment. Then she sent him back to his trailer to change and turned on Kurt.  
  
  
“Tell me you’re luring our poor, defenseless pop star back to your place and you plan to take advantage of him.”  
  
  
“Kim! First of all, he’s not defenseless – ”  
  
  
“Did you see those eyes? If that’s not defenseless, I don’t know what is. Be gentle with him, Kurtsie.” Kim giggled, and Kurt started walking away toward his trailer. She hurried to catch up. “And don’t think I missed the fact that you didn’t deny that you were taking him home with you.”  
  
  
“Well, he doesn’t seem up for a big night out, now does he? I figured I would feed him and listen to him and send him on his way.”  
  
  
“Well, two out of three ain’t bad,” Kim mused.  
  
  
“Get your mind out of the gutter.”  
  
  
“But it likes hanging out with yours!”  
  
  
“You know what? Fine. He’s incredibly gorgeous and dangerously adorable when he’s all sad and rumpled, but I’m not going to take advantage,” Kurt said hotly. “I don’t do that.”  
  
  
“Of course you don’t, sweetheart,” Kim replied. “But promise me something? If the opportunity presents itself, don’t run screaming in the opposite direction.”  
  
  
“Goodnight, Kim.” Kurt kissed her cheek and shooed her away. “Go be a menace to your own family.”  
  
  
“I love you too! Have a wonderful night!” she trilled, skipping away toward her own trailer. Sometimes Kurt couldn’t believe she was allowed to have her own children, since she was about as mature as a child herself.  
  
  
Kurt took his time showering and changing, doing a mental inventory of the contents of his kitchen and what he could pull together in the way of comfort food. He had a killer risotto recipe he’d been dying to try out on someone, and he reasoned that it was sort of like mac and cheese for adults, so it would work. He’d make Blaine help with a salad to keep him busy, and he’d listen like a good friend. That was all.  
  
  
Blaine met him in the parking lot, his hair wet and curly and his jeans slung low on his hips in a way that made Kurt want to push his luck. He focused on getting them both on their way, Blaine following Kurt in his own car. The twenty-minute drive did very little to strengthen his resolve.  
  
  
“This…isn’t a restaurant,” Blaine said when they arrived and Kurt led the way to his apartment.  
  
  
“Welcome to Chez Hummel,” he said, opening the door and stepping back to watch Blaine explore. “I thought you might not be up to dining out, so I figured I could make dinner.”  
  
  
“Thanks,” Blaine said, his expression more cheerful than Kurt had seen it all day.  
  
  
“I’ll go open a bottle of wine,” Kurt said. Anything to keep his hands busy. “Why don’t you pick some music? My ipod’s already hooked up.”  
  
  
Kurt busied himself in the kitchen, opening the wine to let it breathe while he took down glasses and began gathering ingredients for dinner. He was well into chopping and sautéing by the time Blaine wandered back in, something low and soothing with a steady bass beat filtering in after him.  
  
  
Blaine poured them both glasses of wine and brought Kurt’s to him at the stove. He stayed to hover behind Kurt’s left shoulder, watching his progress.  
  
  
“Risotto? Really?”  
  
  
“Is that bad?” Kurt glanced back at him, but relaxed when he saw Blaine’s grin.  
  
  
“No. It’s amazing, actually. I love risotto, but I’ve never been able to make it work at home. Annie says I’m too impatient.”  
  
  
“She’s probably right,” Kurt said, which earned him a poke in the shoulder.  
  
  
“I can be very patient when necessary, I’ll have you know,” Blaine said. He hopped up on the counter adjacent to the stove, looking so at home that Kurt didn’t have the heart to yell at him for sitting on something that was clearly not designed for that purpose. “I just like to save my patience for when it really counts.”  
  
  
“Interesting.”  
  
  
“I like to think I am, yes,” Blaine quipped. Kurt silently agreed with him, but wanted to add a few words of his own, like frustrating, confusing, and attractive.  
  
  
“So I take it you’re feeling better about the jive?”  
  
  
“Shhhhh…” Blaine held a finger to his lips. “We’re not talking about the j-word right now. We’re drinking wine and making dinner like normal people.”  
  
  
“I think you’ll find that you’re drinking wine, and I’m making dinner.”  
  
  
“Right. ‘We.’ That’s how that works, right?”  
  
  
“Something like that,” Kurt said. “And just so you know, your half of ‘we’ is in charge of salad.”  
  
  
Blaine took the hint, getting back down to commandeer a cutting board and bowl of his own. Kurt focused on stirring the stock into the risotto, and when he finally looked back up, Blaine was putting the finishing touches on what looked to be a truly epic salad. He’d even made his own dressing.  
  
  
They sat down a few minutes later at Kurt’s little dining room table with full plates and refilled wine glasses, impressed with their own dinner-making skills. Everything was delicious, and their conversation was light and fun, picking up from where they’d left off at their last lunch together.  
  
  
It was becoming addictive, eating meals with Blaine, sharing heated discussions or idle talk about the minutiae of their days. The more time they spent together, the more Kurt came to like Blaine, not just as a cute guy, but as a person. What’s more, he was growing to respect him, which he knew from experience was dangerous to the safety of his heart.  
  
  
Blaine insisted on helping with clean-up, so he washed while Kurt dried. Then they moved to the couch in the living room with their dessert, a pint of ice cream Kurt unearthed from the back of the freezer along with two spoons. They took turns with the ice cream and the day’s worth of stories, and then Blaine began a long recitation of his issues with the jive while Kurt put the ice cream away and voiced his agreement.  
  
  
“You realize that even though it’s making you crazy, your jive is going to be better than pretty much everyone else’s, right?” Kurt asked as he curled up next to Blaine again.  
  
  
“Really?” Blaine asked, and Kurt scoffed.  
  
  
“Seriously, Blaine? I mean, I get being humble, but you have to realize by now that you’re just naturally better at this than most of the other competitors.”  
  
  
“Ok.” Blaine’s eyes were wide as he took in the compliment.  
  
  
“You’re taking this very seriously.”  
  
  
“It’s performing,” Blaine said, as though that explained everything. With him, it kind of did.  
  
  
“I have this mental image of you putting on involved concerts in your living room when you were six,” Kurt said, laughing.  
  
  
“There were costumes. And rehearsals.”  
  
  
“And video? I’m still holding out for video.”  
  
  
“Remind me to never, ever introduce you to my brother,” Blaine said, slumping further down into the couch. “He treats embarrassing me like an Olympic sport.”  
  
  
“Isn’t it?” Kurt grinned when Blaine shoved at him, and then tried very hard to stay still as Blaine settled his head against Kurt’s shoulder. They were quiet for a minute, listening to the music still playing in the background.  
  
  
“Thanks for dinner,” Blaine finally said. “And for listening. I appreciate it.”  
  
  
“Of course. Isn’t that what friends are for?”  
  
  
“Yeah, I guess it is. I feel really lucky to have met you. You’re just…you make this whole experience better,” Blaine said, glancing up at Kurt from far too close.  
  
  
“You’re just saying that because I’m giving you dance lessons and free food,” Kurt quipped, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
  
“No,” Blaine said, resting his hand on Kurt’s knee. “I’m really not.”  
  
  
“I…ok. I’m glad you listened to your friends and decided to do the show,” Kurt admitted. He patted Blaine’s hand awkwardly and shifted a little, so that Blaine would sit up.  
  
  
“Me too,” Blaine said, eyes shining. “And I think you’re right about the jive. It’ll be fine, and then it’ll be next week.”  
  
  
“That’s the beauty of this show. If you can stumble through a difficult week well enough, you get to try something else the next.”  
  
  
“But I guess we really do have to survive this one first. And speaking of, I should probably head out.”  
  
  
“Probably a good idea.” Kurt got up off the couch, and Blaine followed him toward the door.  
  
  
“Thanks again for dinner. It was really great,” Blaine said. They stood facing one another in front of the open door.  
  
  
“Of course. I guess it’s your turn next. I’ll expect something extravagant.”  
  
  
“I’ll see what I can do.”  
  
  
They stared at one another again, Blaine smiling and Kurt feeling increasingly unsure of himself. Should they hug? Shake hands? Should he throw caution to the wind and lean in for a kiss? Damn Blaine for making him so tentative and uncertain. He was so deep into his own internal monologue that he almost missed Blaine’s quiet goodnight.  
  
  
“Night,” Kurt echoed, only now noticing how close they were to one another. Blaine reached out to grasp one of his hands for a moment, and then tugged Kurt forward so he could press a soft kiss to his cheek.  
  
  
“See you tomorrow,” Blaine said as he pulled back. Before Kurt could reply, he was walking down the stairs and out of sight.  
  
  
Very slowly, Kurt backed into his apartment and shut the door with a gentle click. He walked back over to his couch and sank down, his hands pressed to his knees. Then he let out the breath he had apparently been holding in for the last minute or so.  
  
  
“Oh my god,” he said to the empty room. “Oh my god. What am I doing? What is he doing? What are WE doing?”  
  
  
Kurt considered getting up and calling Kim or Cedes or Tina, or anyone who might shed some light on what the hell was going on, but he already knew their opinions. It was looking more and more like they were right, and Kurt found himself not quite ready to accept that. Instead, he texted Kim to tell her that he thought he might very well owe her another $20, and then turned his phone off. He would deal with her, with him, with all of them, tomorrow. He curled up under a blanket, turned the tv on, and prepared to let whatever show he had on lull him to sleep.  
  
  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Kim discover the wonders of waltz therapy, Kurt makes room for Blaine in his show-day schedule, and Blaine finds Kurt's performance particularly moving.

 

 

When Kim got to the studio the next morning for their final rehearsal before dress, she took one look at Kurt and opened her arms without saying a word.  
  
  
“I’ve been here since six,” he said into her shoulder, not caring that he had to bend at an awkward angle to cuddle close. “Couldn’t sleep.”  
  
  
“Something happened,” Kim said, stroking Kurt’s hair back off his forehead. “What was it?”  
  
  
In fits and starts, Kurt explained everything from the moment Kim had left him the previous night until she’d found him a few minutes ago. His mind was still a muddled mess, and he didn’t totally know why. To her credit, Kim didn’t try to fix it for him. She just listened and patted him and then suggested that they waltz it out. She truly was a quick study.  
  
  
The piece they were performing on the show the next night was one of the best ones Kurt thought he’d ever choreographed. They were waltzing to Morning Has Broken, and he’d insisted on rehearsing to the version by Cat Stevens, which his mother had loved. They’d never been a particularly religious family, choosing instead to express their awe and wonder and joy through music and dance. When he was little, his mother used to dance around the living room with Kurt in her arms while his father watched from the couch. When Morning Has Broken came on, she would drag Burt up too so that they could all sway together. Looking back, Kurt realized that those moments gave him the same feeling that others got from worship or prayer. To this day, the song still made him feel grateful for all the wonderful moments in his life and offered him solace to survive the difficult ones. He’d tried to put a bit of that feeling into his choreography, and it felt like he’d succeeded.  
  
  
Sunlight streamed through the large studio windows as they danced, and Kurt began to feel himself relax into the movement and the message he was trying to convey. Kim moved gracefully within the circle of his arms as they swept around the floor. Kurt could almost see the swirl of her costume’s skirt – a deep rose that faded into yellow, like the sunrise. He let himself go a bit, letting the motion carry them rather than worrying about the precision of their steps. When they came to the end, a quick series of steps followed by a long, fluid stretch with Kim’s head and arms reaching back toward the floor, Kurt focused only on the feeling of wholeness the dance gave him rather than the lingering uncertainties his personal life currently had to offer.  
  
  
Once Kim stood back up from their ending pose, she kissed him on the cheek and smiled. Kurt whispered his thanks before walking away to start their music again.  
  
  
Kim stuck close to him for the rest of the day, carrying the conversation when Blaine came by to chat like everything was normal. She was the one to offer feedback following their rehearsal, which had actually gone quite well, and she brushed aside Kurt’s apologies for being distracted. She told him she knew he’d be totally on the next night, and that was all that mattered. Then she invited him over for an evening pool party at her house so the kids could exhaust him. By the time he crawled into bed that night, Kurt felt like he had a decent shot at actual sleep and a good, focused performance the next day.  
  
  
Monday morning he was up before the sun, as he always was on performance days. He dug his toes into the sand and watched first light brighten the beach all around him, contemplating how to respond to the text Blaine had sent at 3am about how the taco truck he’d found for a late-night snack was nowhere near as good as the one he’d taken Kurt to. “Guess you shouldn’t hunt for great meals without me” seemed a little too forward, and “what on earth were you doing awake at 3am on a show day?” was a bit too parental. He settled for “perhaps your taste buds were asleep and trying to tell you something,” which seemed like a decent cross between the two.  
  
  
No more than five minutes later, Blaine replied, asking why Kurt was awake and managing pointed comments at barely 7am. Before Kurt could talk himself out of it, he scrolled through his contacts to find Blaine’s number and pressed send.  
  
  
“The real question,” Kurt began, when Blaine answered with a sleepy hello, “is what you’re doing awake again not that many hours after you were out taco hunting.”  
  
  
“I sleep strangely when I’m performing. I was exhausted last night, so I went to bed really early. And then I was awake and hungry at three. I took another nap after that, though, so I think I’m fully rested,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“You think? Bitsy’s not going to be happy with you only thinking you’ve gotten enough sleep.”  
  
  
“Oh, it’ll be fine. She already knows my methods are a little unorthodox.” Blaine yawned, but he was starting to sound more like his usual buoyant self. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you up? And where are you, anyway? It sounds like you’re outside.”  
  
  
“I’m always up by this time on show days. And I’m at the beach. I like to watch the sunrise.”  
  
  
“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Blaine said, and Kurt could tell he was smiling. “Does your busy sunrise-watching show day ritual have any space in it for breakfast? Because I keep hearing about this amazing diner that we should test out.”  
  
  
“How are you even hungry? Didn’t you just have tacos five minutes ago?”  
  
  
“More like five hours ago, but that’s not the point. Breakfast?”  
  
  
“I suppose,” Kurt said, grinning. He was glad they were on the phone and Blaine couldn’t see him.  
  
  
“Excellent! I love breakfast.”  
  
  
“I think you just love food in general.”  
  
  
“That too,” Blaine said. “So I’ll text you the details and meet you there in half an hour, ok?”  
  
  
“Sure,” Kurt said. They hung up, and Kurt sighed as he began to rearrange the schedule he kept in his head to account for unreasonably charming boys who insisted on having breakfast with him. Kim was going to give him such a hard time for this, and he would totally deserve it. Strangely enough, he didn’t really care.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Breakfast was delicious, as Kurt had come to expect from meals organized by Blaine. The diner was part greasy spoon and part vegetarian adventure, which meant that Kurt got something he could actually digest while stealing home fries off of Blaine’s plate. It was a compromise that seemed to work for them both, somehow.  
  
  
Kurt gave over an hour and a half of his precious show day schedule to Blaine and breakfast, which Kim made note of – loudly and in Cedes’ hearing – when Kurt finally made it over to the hair and makeup trailer later that morning. Luckily, they were the only cast members in there at the time, so Kurt was able to suffer through their teasing without a big, gossipy audience.  
  
  
“The thing I don’t get,” Cedes said as she curled Kim’s hair into long waves, “is why you’re not more stupid giddy over this whole thing. I get that your last relationship ended badly – trust me, I do – but still.”  
  
  
“He should maybe be a little bit excited about a sweet, hot guy taking him out for meals and dancing with him and giving him precious little kisses on the cheek?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“Exactly. So spill, K. What is your deal?” Cedes brandished her curling iron in his general direction.  
  
  
“I…don’t know,” Kurt said, frowning over at them both. “Part of it is not being able to read him, at all. First I couldn’t figure out if he was gay or not, and now I can’t tell the difference between overly friendly and interested. I feel like something’s wrong with me.”  
  
  
“You’re interested – that’s what’s wrong with you,” Cedes said. “You’re good at reading people when it doesn’t matter, but when you care? It’s like you can’t see or hear a thing.”  
  
  
“So when it comes to Blaine, Kurt is Helen Keller and we’re his Anne Sullivan?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“That is wildly inappropriate,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“But not wrong!” Cedes said. “Seems like you can use a guide or two or three to get you through this.”  
  
  
“And you two and Tina have signed up for the job, apparently,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“You’re welcome, darling,” Kim said, winking at him. “But seriously, what’s holding you back? He seems like a really good guy, if that’s what you’re worried about.”  
  
  
“No, I know he is. He seems kind of horrifically perfect, actually. But right now I don’t trust myself to judge that accurately.”  
  
  
“Ok, I’m going to get serious for a little bit,” Kim said, waving Cedes into the chair next to her. “As someone who’s been married for a while, I know that trust is essential, but it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to build that part, day by day. So it’s ok to think he’s great, and it’s ok to take your time figuring all that out.”  
  
  
“It’s also ok to enjoy the ride,” Cedes added. “Just because the last guy was an idiot doesn’t mean this one is. And if you’re that worried, you can always ask him.”  
  
  
“Ask him what?”  
  
  
“Well, what his intentions are, I suppose. Unless you’d rather we do it for you.” Cedes giggled.  
  
  
“Oh, no thank you. I can handle that myself,” Kurt said, shooting them both a quelling look. “But not today. We still have to compete today, in case you’ve forgotten.”  
  
  
“How could I forget?” Kim asked. “It’s dress-up day!”  
  
  
“You’re four, I swear,” Kurt said. Just like that, the serious moment was over. He felt better, though, and he promised himself he’d man up and actually talk to Blaine soon, so he could stop mooning around like some love-struck teenager. “C’mon, Pretty Pretty Princess, let’s go rehearse.”  
  
  
Kurt got up to drag Kim along to the ballroom, but first he stopped to kiss Cedes’ cheek and promise her that yes, he was fine, and yes, he’d take care of things before she had to take matters into her own hands. He knew her well enough to know that she meant business, which was a big motivation.  
  
  
He saw Blaine numerous times during the course of the day, but Kurt steered clear with a wave and smile, intent on focusing on the first order of business, which was kicking ass on stage. He slowed down long enough to grab lunch with Finn and Rachel, letting their random chatter wash over him while he visualized a great performance. They were both used to him spacing out on them on show days, so lunch was remarkably peaceful.  
  
  
The usual pre-show chaos kept Kurt caught up for the rest of the afternoon, and then somehow it was 5pm and Kim was standing next to him looking beautiful as Tom opened the show. They were going last, so Kurt had almost two hours to kill before he could focus on their performance. He took the opportunity to really study the other competitors, because over the next week or two, the competition would be getting increasingly serious. He wanted to be ready to pull out all the stops.  
  
  
Puck and Lacey opened the show with a jive to Hot for Teacher, which was one of the more ridiculous things Kurt had seen. They made it work, though, and Lacey was all smiles when she got back to the Celebraquarium. She took the seat next to Kurt, facing the stage, so that they could compare notes.  
  
  
They pronounced Quinn and Mark’s jive cute and fun, while Joe and Brit as well as Rory and Tina only got a couple of winces and a ‘thank god they survived that’ following their jives. When Brit and Tina joined them to watch, they could only agree with Kurt and Lacey’s assessments. It hadn’t been an easy week for either one of them. Matt and Chelsie’s waltz was forgettable, which was unfortunate for them but not unexpected. Matt seemed to fade into the background more often than not, which typically served him well as a character actor, but not out on the dance floor. Kurt and the girls agreed that his days were numbered.  
  
  
Santana and Maks were up next with a startlingly beautiful waltz. Brit cheered loudly when they were finished, confiding to Kurt that she’d helped Santana with the finer points of grace and flow required to pull it off. Kurt made a mental note to confer with Maks to figure out what exactly Santana’s intentions were with Brittany. Santana seemed a little harsh and blunt for his Brit, but that didn’t necessarily mean a relationship wouldn’t work between them.  
  
  
Blaine and Bitsy headed for the floor as Santana and Maks finished, Blaine pausing to smile over at Kurt before Bitsy pulled him away. All of the girls cooed audibly, but Kurt shushed them and focused on Blaine’s jive. Blaine looked adorable in his highwater pants with no socks and a bright white shirt with a sparkly bowtie. Even Kurt could admit that Bitsy was cute in her flouncy skirt and spectator-style jive shoes, which perfectly matched the tone of their song. The number was old-school jive, full of flicks and kicks and spins. Blaine was endearingly goofy and bright as he performed, his footwork light and his smile huge. Kurt could practically feel the entire audience falling in love with the dance and with Blaine. He couldn’t really fault them for the sentiment.  
  
  
The moment their number ended, the whole place exploded with applause, and Kurt got up to grab Kim for some warm-ups. They’d be up as soon as Blaine and Bitsy got their scores and Lauren and Mike finished their waltz.  
  
  
Backstage, Kurt and Kim stretched in silence, settling into the mental state required for performance. They came together briefly, as had become their habit, breathing as one and talking through the emotion of what they were doing without worrying about technique. Kurt took Kim on one quick turn around the space, checking for balance and frame, and then they walked back out to take the floor, hand in hand.  
  
  
“How do you feel?” Kurt asked as their pre-performance video package began to play.  
  
  
“Good,” Kim replied immediately. “Relaxed, in the moment, and ready to be graceful and expressive. How do you feel?”  
  
  
“Happy that you can repeat what I’ve been telling you all week back to me,” Kurt joked, squeezing her hand. “But seriously, I’m great. This is going to be gorgeous. Just let the music and the movement take you away.”  
  
  
“Absolutely.”  
  
  
Kim twirled into him so that her back was to his front and they were cuddled together for their opening pose. Kurt rested his hands on her shoulders, ready to begin. He pressed his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes briefly. When the music began, he opened them again to see a space that only he and Kim inhabited. Nothing mattered but the two of them and the story they told.  
  
  
Kurt looked at Kim as they skimmed across the floor, and she smiled back at him, her expression full of serenity and joy. He could tell she felt beautiful, and her footwork was flawless as well. Kurt knew this was a performance that would keep people talking, regardless of their actual scores. He grinned and then let himself sink back into the dance, soaking up the moment as it unfolded.  
  
  
By the time the music ended, Kurt had been on a journey of a thousand mental miles, remembering his mother and his childhood and his love of dance with every step. He pulled Kim back up from their final pose, and he only realized he had teared up a little when she wiped gently at the corners of his eyes and rubbed his cheek with hers affectionately.  
  
  
“You’re a true talent, sweetheart,” she said. “Thank you for that.”  
  
  
“Thank you,” he said. “You were wonderful.”  
  
  
“Only because you help make me that way.”  
  
  
Kim took his hand and led the way to Tom and the judges. Kurt was sure that all three of them said insane and mostly complimentary things, but he didn’t really care. They had performed what they set out to, and that was what was important.  
  
  
Kurt and Kim floated back up to the Celebraquarium for their scores, which were suitably impressive, and then let themselves be herded back down with the other couples to close out the show. Kurt slipped backstage after they were off the air, heading down a little-used corridor to give himself a few minutes alone before post-show press began. It had been a hell of a night – a hell of a performance – and he needed a moment to process it so he could make sense in interviews.  
  
  
He was just walking into an empty lounge when he felt a familiar hand grab his.  
  
  
“Kurt.” When he turned around, Blaine was there, staring at him with dark, intense eyes. Kurt’s breath caught and held, and he stared back, not sure what to say.  
  
  
“Hi,” he finally managed, taking a step back as Blaine crowded him up against the open door, his hands settling at Kurt’s hips.  
  
  
“I watched you dance,” Blaine said, as his thumbs rubbed distracting circles into the skin above Kurt’s hipbones. “I mean, I always watch you dance, but tonight…I don’t think I’ve ever been as moved by a performance as I was by yours.”  
  
  
“Thank you,” Kurt breathed. His hands skimmed tentatively up Blaine’s arms to his shoulders, resting lightly there. He felt Blaine shift, moving closer.  
  
  
“You captivate me,” Blaine said, the words like a prayer in the hushed stillness of the room. He released Kurt’s hips and brought his hands up to cradle Kurt’s jaw, holding his gaze for a long moment. “Please let me kiss you.”  
  
  
Kurt’s eyes closed in reaction to the plaintive tone in Blaine’s voice, his hands reaching up to grip Blaine’s wrists and tug him closer in silent assent. He felt Blaine let out a shuddering breath, and then Blaine’s lips were on his. Everything was warmth and sensation and want, and Kurt willingly let Blaine drag him under.  
  
  
Kurt had been kissed many, many times, but nothing had ever felt quite like this. Blaine kissed like he did everything – with total focus and joyful abandon, attending to every detail and losing himself in the moment. Kurt slid his hands back over Blaine’s shoulders and held on, letting the feelings and sensations wash over him. He never wanted this to end.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment is interrupted, Kurt has a surprise visitor, and things heat up when the cast goes out dancing.

 

 

They were pulled abruptly out of the moment and away from one another at the sound of Bitsy’s voice calling down the corridor for Blaine. Kurt guessed that they had approximately fifteen seconds before they were found.  
  
  
“You look great,” Blaine said before Kurt could start panicking. He ran his knuckles down Kurt’s cheek, and then nuzzled close for one more soft, sweet kiss. “Just as perfect as always.”  
  
  
Kurt could feel his cheeks heating from the compliment, but before he could reply Blaine had flashed him a grin and slipped out of the room. A moment later, Kurt could hear him talking to Bitsy, their voices growing quieter as they walked back down the hall. He let his head fall back against the door he was still leaning on, his fingers coming up to trace his lips.  
  
  
His mind was still blissfully quiet, awash in images and sense memory of the past few minutes. He knew he needed to get back out to the ballroom for press, but he stole another moment to savor before he returned to the real world. And then a thought occurred to him, and he headed for the door. He needed to make a quick stop in his trailer before he met up with Kim.  
  
  
Five minutes later, he found Kim at the edge of the ballroom, chatting with one of her favorite print reporters. Kurt slid an arm around her waist, slipping the crisp twenty into her hand. She glanced down, and Kurt saw her smile warm slightly. Then she looped her arm around his waist, squeezing tight. He couldn’t help but grin.  
  
  
As they moved down the press line, Kim peppered Kurt with questions whenever they had a free moment. Slowly, she got the whole story out of him, while he extracted a promise from her that she wouldn’t embarrass the hell out of him in front of Blaine quite yet. They were all planning to head out later, and that was the last thing Kurt needed.  
  
  
When press ended, Kurt was surprised to see that he had someone waiting for him at the edge of the stage.  
  
  
“Carole! What are you doing here?” he asked, as he walked over to give her a hug.  
  
  
“Surprise, sweetheart! I couldn’t resist – you know how I love to watch you waltz.” She reached up to smooth the hair over his ear in a motherly gesture she’d been using on him for years. “Your dad’s in DC this week, so I thought I’d come out and see you boys, maybe sit in on a rehearsal or two?”  
  
  
“Oh, yes!” Kim said as she joined them. “That sounds excellent, Carole. Assuming we’re still on the show for next week, of course. How long are you staying?”  
  
  
“Just a couple of days. I have to get home on Thursday.” She turned to Kurt. “I already saw your brother, but he has plans with Rachel and her dads tonight, apparently. I thought you and I could have dinner, maybe with some of your friends.”  
  
  
“That would be great,” Kurt said. He could never deny Carole anything.  
  
  
“I better count as one of your friends, mister, because I’m coming,” Kim told him.  
  
  
“Of course you are,” Kurt said. “We should probably round the girls and Mike up too. I know they’ll want to come.”  
  
  
“I’ll get Blaine!” Kim practically sang, slipping away before Kurt could rein her in. Kurt sighed, accepting the inevitable, and turned back to Carole.  
  
  
“Tell me you’re not planning to stay with Finn. My place, unlike his, is clean, and it has an actual guest room.”  
  
  
“Thank you, sweetheart. I knew I could count on you to rescue me from a terrible fate!” Carole tucked herself under his arm as they skirted around the edge of the dance floor toward the other dancers.  
  
  
They gathered up Brit, Tina and Mike, and then headed for Kurt’s trailer, where Cedes would be waiting as usual. Kurt had a feeling Kim had gone rogue and invited Bitsy as well as Blaine, but he figured the more the merrier. Maybe then they’d all be less likely to focus on him and Blaine and whatever they were. He could hope, at least. He sighed again, knowing his wishful thinking for what it was: futile.  
  
  
Carole had made reservations for a group at the Thai place Kurt had introduced her to when he’d first started on the show. While Kurt showered and changed, Carole coordinated everyone like the mother hen she loved to be, and within twenty minutes their caravan was on its way. Kurt rode with Carole and Cedes, while Kim insinuated herself into a car with Blaine, Bitsy, and Annie, who had been added to the party at the last minute. The only things that kept Kurt from panicking about that arrangement were Kim’s promise not to say anything quite yet and the sweet smile Blaine gave him as they got into their separate vehicles.  
  
  
At the restaurant, Blaine somehow managed to land in the seat next to Kurt, with Carole and Kim across from them. Kurt watched with apprehension as Kim leaned over to Cedes, who was on her other side, to have a whispered conversation, complete with raised brows and hushed giggles. When they were done, Cedes grinned at Kurt, and then promptly turned to Tina to repeat the process. Luckily, Blaine didn’t seem to notice, because he was chatting with Annie.  
  
  
Kurt caught up with Carole, and then got drawn into reminiscing about his teenage years at home once Kim joined the conversation. He became aware that Blaine was listening in too when he felt a hand slide over to capture his under the table. He managed to finish his story, though he suspected that he was smiling a bit more widely than a story about Finn’s broken wrist warranted.  
  
  
“So,” Carole said, turning to Blaine while Kurt was distracted. “Since you’re the newest addition to our little adopted dance family, you’re going to have to tell me all about yourself.”  
  
  
“Carole!” Kurt said. “You’re as bad as Dad. Isn’t that why we created the no interrogations over dinner rule?”  
  
  
“I don’t mind, really,” Blaine said, before Carole could respond. “I’m just a Midwestern boy with some talent who got lucky.”  
  
  
“And worked hard, I’m sure,” Carole said. “I know from what both my boys have gone through that talent only gets you so far. Effort and a fair amount of charm do the rest.”  
  
  
“Here, here!” Kim chimed in, laughing. “Your boys and Blainers here have far more than their fair share of charm.”  
  
  
“Don’t they, though? Burt and I have no idea where our two got it. Maybe it was in the water!” Carole said, and then turned to Blaine. “Blaine, what about you? How did you end up so debonair?”  
  
  
Carole and Kim giggled together as they waited for Blaine’s response. Kurt loved the way they were getting along, even if it was at his own expense most of the time.  
  
  
“Well,” Blaine said, slotting his fingers in between Kurt’s and holding on, “my brother would tell you it’s a combination of private school and about a million too many viewings of Gene Kelly movies when I was little.”  
  
  
“Whereas my dad blames Fred and Ginger,” Kurt said. Blaine smiled at him, his thumb stroking along Kurt’s.  
  
  
“Well aren’t you two just little musical peas in a pod,” Carole commented, and Kurt was impressed that Kim managed to restrain herself from making an inappropriate comment. Carole continued as though she hadn’t noticed Kim’s stifled laughter. “It’s so nice that you brought Annie along, Blaine. Now how did you two meet?”  
  
  
“Oh, we’ve been friends for ages, haven’t we, wee tiny Blainers?” Annie said, putting undue emphasis on ‘friends.’ Kurt suspected that Blaine had updated her like he had updated Kim, and she was trying to set the record straight, so to speak. “We both had a crush on the same boy in middle school, so it was obviously fated that we’d become besties.”  
  
  
“The rest is history. It’s true.” Blaine said, wincing when Annie leaned over to pat his curls.  
  
  
“Ah, of course,” Carole said casually, but Kurt didn’t like the gleam in her eye as she looked between him and Blaine. He fully expected that she’d grill him over breakfast the next morning, if not before.  
  
  
Carole deftly changed the subject then, but Kurt caught her glancing at him a little too often to be normal throughout the rest of the meal. Blaine, for his part, was perfectly well-behaved, except for the way his hand drifted from Kurt’s hand down to his knee and back again, keeping Kurt from being able to focus on much at all. By the time dinner ended, Kurt was so busy calculating how soon he could get Blaine alone to retaliate that he almost forgot to give Carole the spare key to the apartment.  
  
  
“You kids have fun tonight,” she said as they parted, kissing Kurt’s cheek and offering hugs all around. “I promise not to wait up.”  
  
  
She winked at Kurt as she walked away, and Kim poked him in the side, giggling a little.  
  
  
“Have I mentioned that I love your stepmother?” Kim asked. “Because I do. A lot.  
  
  
“I thought I told you to behave,” Kurt replied as they walked over to Bitsy’s car. Cedes was riding in Mike and Tina’s car with Brit.  
  
  
“And have I embarrassed you publicly yet? I think not. Therefore I am totally holding up my end of the deal.”  
  
  
“Just so long as you make it through the rest of the evening without any verbal accidents. You’d better pass the word to Tina and Cedes and Brits, too.” Kurt stopped talking as they climbed into the backseat on either side of Blaine, who had taken the middle seat with good grace.  
  
  
Kim’s grin got wider when Blaine’s hand found Kurt’s again, but she turned away from them to join in with the girls’ conversation in the front seat. This left Blaine free to curl closer to Kurt as though he’d been doing so for years rather than hours. It was both comforting and disconcerting.  
  
  
“Save me a dance?” Blaine whispered in Kurt’s ear, his free hand coming up to trace the bones of Kurt’s wrist.  
  
  
“I suppose,” Kurt said, giving into temptation and turning so his cheek brushed Blaine’s. “Sure your dance card isn’t too full? You’re awfully popular with the ladies.”  
  
  
“I’d rather be popular with you,” Blaine murmured back. Kurt had to admit the boy could flirt.  
  
  
“I’d say your stock is rising in that regard.”  
  
  
“Anything I can do to help it along?’ Blaine’s fingers were now skating up the sensitive skin on the inside of Kurt’s arm.  
  
  
“I think you’re doing just fine without any insider information,” Kurt replied, suppressing a shiver.  
  
  
They pulled up at the club then, and Kurt escaped the car to go around and escort Kim inside like the good partner he was. Blaine did the same with Bitsy and Annie, pausing politely when photographers sought his attention. Kurt thought to himself that he really shouldn’t find Blaine’s manners so hot.  
  
  
Once inside, the girls headed toward the VIP area, but Blaine caught Kurt by the belt loop before he could follow them.  
  
  
“How about that dance?” Blaine’s smile was somehow both sweet and dangerous.  
  
  
“How about it?” Kurt was feeling a little adventurous and a lot enamored.  
  
  
Blaine led the way as they threaded through the other dancers, a mixture of pretty people, both women and men, grouped together in every combination imaginable. No one looked at them as Blaine turned back and pulled Kurt in. Kurt said a silent thank you for the anonymity of the dance floor, which allowed him to wrap himself in Blaine’s arms without cameras flashing or people staring.  
  
  
The beat of the music was slow and heavy, and they came together with languid intent. They were pressed together from knee to cheek, hips rolling sinuously to the beat. Blaine had one arm tight around Kurt’s waist, the other sliding down to cup his hip. Kurt’s hands were constantly in motion, reaching up to twist in Blaine’s hair and down to trace the muscles of his shoulders and back. Blaine’s lips brushed past the shell of Kurt’s ear with every downbeat, making Kurt’s breath catch. He forgot to breathe altogether when Blaine started speaking, his words hot with promise.  
  
  
“The way you move, the way you feel, god…” Blaine said, and Kurt couldn’t help but draw him closer. “You look so incredible on the dance floor.”  
  
  
“You’re not exactly hopeless yourself,” Kurt said on a gasp. Blaine’s hand was behind Kurt’s knee, coaxing his leg up around Blaine’s hip.  
  
  
“You move the way I dream about sounding. Smooth and sexy, making everyone want you.”  
  
  
“You should hear yourself right now. I think you’re there.”  
  
  
“Oh yeah?” Blaine asked, his teeth nipping the curve of Kurt’s ear. “Let’s test that theory. Right now, what do you want?”  
  
  
“You,” Kurt breathed, turning into Blaine. “Everywhere.”  
  
  
Kurt backed Blaine through the crowd, aiming for a dark corner of the club. Blaine’s back hit the wall as Kurt’s mouth took his, swallowing down a moan. Kurt didn’t know how things had gone so incendiary so fast, and he didn’t care. He just pushed himself further into Blaine’s body and kissed him more deeply, rapidly losing awareness of anything that wasn’t the responsive man under his hands.  
  
  
Blaine’s hands were everywhere, pushing up into Kurt’s hair to hold him in place before slipping down into his back pockets to coax him closer. Kurt kissed down the side of Blaine’s neck, mouth slick and open against Blaine’s skin. Blaine’s head fell back in response, letting Kurt nip his way back up before finding Blaine’s mouth again.  
  
  
Kurt wanted Blaine under him, over him, around him, but somehow had the presence of mind to realize that now was not the time. They were technically in public and had friends and family to get back to. He gentled the kiss, pulling back slightly from Blaine to give them both breathing room.  
  
  
“We’re in public,” Kurt said ruefully. “There are people.”  
  
  
“Screw ‘em,” Blaine said, smiling and coaxing Kurt closer with a hand at his jaw.  
  
  
“Blaine.”  
  
  
“Kurt,” Blaine parroted. He probably thought he was being cute, and he was right.  
  
  
Kurt sighed and leaned back in, letting himself be drawn into another kiss. This one was slow and decadent, a gentle meeting of lips and tongues and teeth that retained heat despite its sweetness. Kurt couldn’t imagine getting tired of Blaine’s kisses anytime soon.  
  
  
Blaine was the one to pull back this time, so he could nuzzle along Kurt’s jaw toward his ear.  
  
  
“You’re right, of course,” Blaine said, anchoring one hand at the base of Kurt’s neck to keep him close. “We should really behave.”  
  
  
“Something tells me you’re terrible at that,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“Would you care to lodge a complaint?” Blaine pressed kisses, small and chaste, along the curve of Kurt’s jaw.  
  
  
“Not at the moment, no.” Kurt could feel small tremors in his body, radiating outward from those tiny points of contact where Blaine’s lips met his skin. “Though I reserve the right to, ah, revisit my decision at a later date.”  
  
  
“Naturally,” Blaine said with perfect equanimity. His hands were sweeping soothing paths up and down Kurt’s back, and his kisses gave way to cuddling. Kurt sank into his offered warmth, pressing his face into Blaine’s hair and looping his arms around Blaine’s waist.  
  
  
“We should probably go back.”  
  
  
“Probably,” Blaine agreed. His hands had stilled but stayed wrapped around Kurt’s back. Kurt couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so comfortable.  
  
  
It was a few minutes more before they managed to convinced themselves to move, and only then because Brit was coming toward them, looking for Kurt to dance with. Blaine let them go, standing back to watch as Kurt and Brit showed up the rest of the dancers on the floor with a cha cha club remix that they liked to break out when they were feeling particularly energetic. Kurt then got swept into a series of dances with each of the girls in turn, including Annie, who wanted him to show her a little bit of Argentine tango. By the time he managed to break free, Blaine was off dancing with Bitsy, and Kurt collapsed onto a bench to watch.  
  
  
Within seconds, Kim sat down next to him, resting an arm across his shoulders and following his gaze.  
  
  
“You, my darling,” she announced, “are in trouble. That boy is hot stuff. And he likes you.”  
  
  
“So I’m noticing,” Kurt said, leaning into her. “Do me a favor?”  
  
  
“Of course.”  
  
  
“Don’t let me get so lost in whatever this is with him that I forget who I am or what you and I are trying to do.”  
  
  
“Easier said than done,” Kim said. “But sure. I’ll help keep your head on straight.”  
  
  
“Thanks. Because we have a show to win.” Kurt grinned. He was committed to making it happen, for himself and for Kim. He would find a way to balance everything else. Because he had to, and because he thought, just maybe, that Blaine would be worth the effort in the end.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt enjoys a cozy breakfast with Carole and a powerful performance with Brit. His attempt at lunch with Blaine is not quite as successful.

 

 

“Morning, sweetheart.” Carole was already at the stove, flipping pancakes, when Kurt wandered into the kitchen the next morning. He walked over to kiss her cheek and noted with approval that she’d made whole wheat batter and had fresh fruit out for a topping. “How was your night out?”  
  
  
“Fun,” Kurt said as he poured coffee into the mug Carole had set out on the counter. “Lots of laughing and dancing and making fools of ourselves – you know, the usual.”  
  
  
“I bet,” she said, and though she didn’t turn around, he recognized her tone and knew she was fishing.  
  
  
“Go ahead and ask. I know you want to.” Now seated at the table, Kurt smiled into his mug.  
  
  
“And how much are you going to tell me?”  
  
  
“The parentally-approved amount, of course.”  
  
  
“My parentally-approved amount, or your father’s?” Carole asked. She deposited a plate of pancakes in front of Kurt and sat down across from him. He loved the way she took command of his kitchen like she belonged in it. She did the same thing every time she visited.  
  
  
“Yours, I suppose. Just so long as you let me tell Dad in my own time.”  
  
  
“Deal.” She smiled across at him, and he reached out to squeeze the hand she offered.  
  
  
“So, there’s this boy,” Kurt began, the same way he had started this sort of story since he was a teenager.  
  
  
“And does this boy have a name?” Carole asked, playing her part.  
  
  
“You know his name – you had dinner with him!”  
  
  
“So? I didn’t want to skip any steps. But continue.” Carole waved him along with a forkful of pancake.  
  
  
“Right. Anyway, we’ve gotten to be friends over the past month or so. He’s smart and funny and musical and has great taste in restaurants…”  
  
  
“Not to mention a cute tush.”  
  
  
“Carole!” Kurt admonished, but he was laughing. “I mean, you’re right, but still.”  
  
  
“Sorry,” Carole said, but he knew she really wasn’t. “You were saying?”  
  
  
“We’ve been hanging out a lot, but I didn’t even know if he was gay or not until recently.”  
  
  
“So you were being overly cautious?”  
  
  
“You know me so well.” They shared a smile. “I just didn’t want to get in too deep before I knew where I stood.”  
  
  
“And where do you stand?”  
  
  
“Well, he kissed me yesterday. My waltz inspired him, apparently.” Kurt took a sip of coffee in an attempt to cover the blush he knew was rising on his cheeks.  
  
  
“He has good taste, then, in boys and in dances. That routine was spectacular,” Carole said. Kurt beamed.  
  
  
“Thanks. So he kissed me. Actually, he asked to kiss me.”  
  
  
“How charming.”  
  
  
“It kind of was. And then there was some dancing, and some kissing, and some hanging out, and then I came home.”  
  
  
“And now?”  
  
  
“I go to work, and I see him, and I don’t know?” Kurt had been actively trying not to think that far, choosing instead to revel in the newness of it all.  
  
  
“You give him a nice big smooch and let it go where it goes,” Carole said firmly. “Kurt, that boy likes you. Even I can tell that much. You deserve having a sweet, cute guy who likes you. Turn off your brain for a few minutes and have a good time.”  
  
  
“But…”  
  
  
“Your work won’t suffer,” Carole said, as though she could read his mind. At this point, she probably could. “If anything, you’ll let your feelings fuel your work. I know you. You want to overthink this, but try to resist. Let it be what it is, and enjoy yourself. Or I’ll be forced to get your father involved.”  
  
  
“Low blow,” Kurt said darkly. “He’d come swooping in and scare the life out of Blaine by trying to be his best friend. We are so not ready for that. Hell, we’re not really even a ‘we’ at the moment.”  
  
  
“So do something about that, then. That’ll give you something to agonize over.” Carole just grinned when Kurt made a face at her. They chewed the last of their breakfasts companionably for a moment before she continued. “You’ll be fine. You’ll dance beautifully and have some fun. What’s the worst that could happen?”  
  
  
“I could get my heart broken?”  
  
  
“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, I think you have lunch plans to make with a cute boy. And I’m off to see Finn before the show tonight.”  
  
  
“Dinner?” Kurt asked, happy to be off the hook for a while.  
  
  
“Of course. I’ll cook here for my boys. Just like old times.”  
  
  
“Only if I get to help,” Kurt said, collecting their plates and starting to wash up.  
  
  
“We’ll make Finn set the table,” Carole agreed. She headed back to the guest room and left Kurt to his thoughts, which were now considerably lighter, even though it was a results show day.  
  
  
Kurt mulled over Carole’s advice on the way into the studio to pre-record a performance for that night’s show. She had said essentially the same thing as his girls had been saying, but he took it a little more seriously coming from one of his parents. Carole knew him, had known him since high school when she had quickly become one of his most treasured confidants. She knew his dating history, his hang-ups, and his self-destructive tendencies better than most. For that reason, and several others, she hadn’t been this enthusiastic about a dating prospect in a long time. Kurt figured that had to mean something was right about him and Blaine being together.  
  
  
Kurt knew from their conversation the previous night that Blaine wasn’t due at the studio for another few hours, which left Kurt free to focus on dancing for the time being. He was doing a dueling guitars number with Brit, which meant real Argentine tango with one hell of a partner. They’d been working on it during lunch breaks and after rehearsals for the last week, which had proven to be a good change of pace from the prettiness of the waltz. Brit was a firecracker, her focus razor sharp when she was dancing, and she always pushed Kurt to new heights when they danced together.  
  
  
Kurt met her in the ballroom for a few quick run-throughs before heading for hair and makeup. Cedes wasn’t in yet, which meant no one distracted him with questions about Blaine so he could focus on Brit. She was telling him about how she had gotten to know Santana, and the story was quite enlightening. It also sounded eerily familiar.  
  
  
“Maks asked me to come help and show her the girl part a couple of weeks ago, so I did. She really appreciated the help. I know everyone thinks she can be kind of mean, but that’s just because she’s competitive.”  
  
  
“I’m sure I know nothing about that,” Kurt commented.  
  
  
“You don’t?”  
  
  
“Kidding, Brit. You know I’m competitive. What happened next?”  
  
  
“Well, she asked me out to dinner, but first I told her about how sometimes I like boys, but I like her too. She seemed ok with that.”  
  
  
“And now?” Kurt was genuinely curious. If he was going to get involved in a cliché showmance of his own, he wanted to know how it was working for Brit.  
  
  
“She wants to be my girlfriend. She says she doesn’t even mind if the stupid paparazzi harass her about it,” Brit said. “I really like her, Kurt. She’s so smart and pretty and talented.”  
  
  
“I’m happy for you, Brit.” He bent down to hug her in the makeup chair. He’d still be asking Maks what he thought about Santana’s side of things, but from what he could tell, his Brits was happy. That’s what mattered most. “You about ready to set fire to that stage?”  
  
  
“Won’t that ruin our costumes?” Brit asked. Kurt laughed.  
  
  
“Good point. How about we just go out there and dance our best?”  
  
  
“Ok!” Brit followed him out of the hair and makeup trailer, obviously ready to dance.  
  
  
They ran the dance a couple more times before adding the live music, and then a few more times after that while the stand-in audience filled the floor-level seats. By the time they were ready to film, the dance was polished and they felt loose enough to infuse a lot of personality into the performance. Artie and the producers were pleased with the first take, which meant they got an extra half hour before they had to be back for run-through for that evening’s show.  
  
  
Brit ran off to find Santana for lunch, and Kurt was winding his way through backstage to go find his phone and text Blaine when the man himself appeared right in front of him.  
  
  
“Hi,” Kurt said, smiling. “I didn’t expect you here already.”  
  
  
“Like I’d miss a chance to watch you dance,” Blaine said, demonstrating his ability to make Kurt blush with a single phrase.  
  
  
“You were watching?”  
  
  
“I got here in time to see you filming. It looked amazing.”  
  
  
“Thank you,” Kurt said, giving in to the temptation to no longer keep his hands to himself. He stepped close to Blaine, his arms sliding around Blaine’s waist. “I’m glad you liked it.”  
  
  
“I more than liked it,” Blaine said, reaching up to toy with Kurt’s collar. “You’re really something else.”  
  
  
“I’d say thank you again, but it’ll start to get a little repetitive.”  
  
  
“I have a better idea.” Blaine leaned closer, his intent clear, and Kurt happily met him halfway in a kiss.  
  
  
“So I guess I didn’t make last night up,” Blaine said, once they surfaced.  
  
  
“Was that a concern?”  
  
  
“Well, it’s not every day that I manage to convince a gorgeous dancer that kissing me is a good idea.”  
  
  
“It was better than a good idea. And it didn’t take all that much convincing,” Kurt admitted.  
  
  
“Lucky me.” Blaine looked up at Kurt through his eyelashes, which was indecently attractive. Kurt had to kiss him again.  
  
  
Blaine shuffled back so his shoulders were against the nearest wall, pulling Kurt to him as their mouths melded together. Kurt heard himself whimper, which should have been mortifying. He didn’t really care, though, too intent on getting Blaine as close as humanly possible. Kissing him was proving addictive in the very best way.  
  
  
Eventually, they managed to tear themselves away, leaning back just enough to press their foreheads together and catch their breaths.  
  
  
“We should really try this in a less public place,” Kurt said, only now realizing that they were in a corridor anyone could walk down.  
  
  
“I won’t argue with that,” Blaine said, eyes lighting up.  
  
  
“Lunch first.”  
  
  
“I suppose.” Blaine’s grin was infectious. “Private lunch?”  
  
  
“Why do I get the feeling that will involve very little actual sustenance?”  
  
  
“It might, it might not. Try it anyway? I’ll order.”  
  
  
“I suppose. But just so you know, I’m blaming you if I’m still hungry in an hour,” Kurt said, taking Blaine’s hand as they began walking down the hall.  
  
  
“And in that case, I’m sure I’ll be guilty. So, so guilty.” Blaine stopped them so he could take Kurt’s other hand and kiss his knuckles. Kurt laughed.  
  
  
“You, sir, are a flirt.”  
  
  
“Mmmm,” Blaine agreed, kissing Kurt’s cheek before he resumed walking. Their hands swung between them as they walked, which made Kurt want to laugh again with delight. He could really get used to this.  
  
  
***  
  
  
As Kurt had predicted, lunch involved far more giggling and kissing than it did actual food. Kurt had almost forgotten how much fun these first moments of flirtation could be, and though he knew they would need to talk it out eventually, he wasn’t quite ready for this part to end.  
  
  
They had curled up on the couch in Blaine’s trailer, talking about everything and nothing in between kisses and occasional nibbles of vegetable crudites. Kurt learned that Blaine had broken his arm in third grade during a particularly enthusiastic superman phase. Blaine discovered, much to Kurt’s chagrin, that the backs of Kurt’s knees were incredibly ticklish. This led to their meal dissolving into a tickle fight, which Kurt managed to end when he trapped Blaine under him on the couch, his hands capturing Blaine’s wrists above his head.  
  
  
“I win,” Kurt said, grinning as he looked down at Blaine.  
  
  
“I am so ok with that,” Blaine replied, tilting his head back so that Kurt could kiss down the column of his throat.  
  
  
“Yeah?” Kurt said between kisses.  
  
  
“God, yes. You’re so strong. So hot.”  
  
  
“You’re babbling.” Kurt released Blaine’s hands so that he could work Blaine’s top two buttons free and access more skin.  
  
  
“I blame you.” Blaine’s hands slid the length of Kurt’s back to cup his ass. Kurt was beginning to think Blaine had a bit of an obsession with it.  
  
  
“Let me help you with that,” Kurt said, before capturing Blaine’s lips in a slow, deep kiss.  
  
  
Blaine moaned into it, gripping Kurt tighter, while Kurt moved with him and anchored his hands in Blaine’s hair. Things were just starting to spiral out of control between them when an incessant beeping broke through the quiet. Kurt was both pleased and disgusted with himself for having the foresight to set an alarm for rehearsal.  
  
  
“Duty calls,” Kurt said regretfully, pulling himself upright and offering Blaine a hand up.  
  
  
“Don’t wanna,” Blaine said. He draped himself over Kurt’s back, peeking over his shoulder and pouting a little.  
  
  
“Being cute is not going to get you out of rehearsal, you know,” Kurt replied. When Blaine only pouted more, Kurt laughed and kissed him one more time. “And just think: after that, we get to spend another hour standing on stage, waiting for our fates to be revealed in front of millions of Americans.”  
  
  
“Yeah, I don’t like that part.” Blaine finally pulled away and got up so he could peer in his mirror and try to make his hair look less like Kurt’s hands had spent the last hour tangled in it.  
  
  
“No one likes that part. And it only gets worse each week. Maks and Lacey say semi-finals week is the worst.”  
  
  
“I believe it.” Blaine said, catching Kurt’s eye in the mirror. “Is there a reason you’re trying to make me nervous about tonight?”  
  
  
“Just trying to get us focused. We are at our place of business, after all.”  
  
  
“And are you this welcoming to all the new employees?” Blaine asked as Kurt came up behind him and propped his chin on Blaine’s shoulder.  
  
  
“Only the cute ones who feed me delicious meals and let me use them to fend off unwanted exes.”  
  
  
“That’s all I am? A means to an end?” Blaine joked, turning to face Kurt.  
  
  
“Yep. You’re awfully convenient,” Kurt said, laughing. He let Blaine draw him closer for one last kiss before pulling away. “Ok, hands off, Mr. Anderson. We have work to do.”  
  
  
“Yes, sir.” Blaine winked as he held the door open for Kurt.  
  
  
Once outside, Kurt slid his hands into his pockets to avoid the temptation to grab onto Blaine and refuse to let go. The last hour had been a wonderful respite from the stress that Tuesdays brought, but now it was time to focus and – assuming everything went well tonight – begin to plan for the next week’s routine. He and Kim would have paso doble if they made it through, and Kurt had a few amazing ideas for what they might do. He couldn’t wait to show them to Kim the next morning.  
  
  
Back in the ballroom, Blaine headed over to where Bitsy was sitting, but not before aiming one more wink and smile Kurt’s way. Kim, of course, walked up at exactly that moment. She looped her arm through Kurt’s and held on so he couldn’t get away.  
  
  
“So,” she said, a decidedly evil gleam in her eye. “What exactly have you been up to, mister?”  
  
  
Kurt could tell it was going to be a long night.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine find it awfully hard to keep things under wraps.

 

 

Tuesday night was interminable as usual, made worse by the fact that Blaine and Bitsy were standing directly in front of Kurt and Kim for most of the show. During commercial breaks, Blaine would turn around and smile up at Kurt, while Kim poked him in the side and grinned. It was the best kind of torture, and Kurt was glad he had Kim there to keep him from doing something embarrassing like grinning like an idiot through the entire show. He didn’t need the entire cast and all of America to know that something was up quite yet.  
  
  
After the show, Blaine caught up with Kurt back at his trailer and kissed the daylights out of him before running off because he’d promised Bitsy that he’d get a good night’s sleep for rehearsal the next day. Kurt vowed to do the same following his family dinner, but ended up tossing and turning half the night, unable to get warm brown eyes and curly hair out of his mind.  
  
  
Kurt threw himself into rehearsal the next morning, pushing Kim hard and fast through the paso choreography he’d already completed. Matt and Chelsie had been eliminated the night before, which meant that slowly but surely the competition was narrowing to those couples who could really dance. Kurt was planning to step up their game incrementally, so Kim could ease in to showing her full potential. This week, her challenge was to fully embody the power and passion of the bullfight, and they’d chosen a somewhat obscure song that Kurt thought would help Kim feel both strong and sexy. The first time he’d played it through for her, marking the basic steps, she’d grinned, slow and fierce, and hadn’t cracked a joke for nearly an hour. Kurt figured that was the best sign he could hope for.  
  
  
Kim engineered a group outing for lunch, with all the usual suspects. This time, Blaine sat across the table from Kurt, but still managed to distract him by hooking one foot around Kurt’s ankle and smiling at him over their salads. Kurt knew he should be careful, that he shouldn’t let all that adorable charm melt him so easily, but he couldn’t resist leaning closer and ignoring his lunch and smiling back. If all his friends hadn’t already known something was going on, they certainly did now.  
  
  
The rest of the week fell into a similar pattern: productive rehearsals with Kim, daily lunches and some dinners with the group, and stolen moments with Blaine whenever both of them were free. On Thursday night, they went for a drive between dinner and Kurt’s pro rehearsal, Blaine at the wheel while Kurt navigated and held his hand. Saturday afternoon, they met for a late lunch in the downtown studio between rehearsals. Kurt supplied plates, cutlery and a blanket, and Blaine brought food from some obscure little market for a picnic. It was romantic and sweet, or so Kim said when she walked back in for rehearsal and they were still cozied up in a corner with dessert.  
  
  
Unfortunately, Kim wandering in during their lunch was the least embarrassing of their cast run-ins that week. Tom had caught them making out like teenagers behind a rack of costumes when he’d come into wardrobe for a fitting, which had amused him and mortified both Kurt and Blaine. They’d sworn that they’d stop getting within touching distance in public places after that, but that was a promise neither of them had been strong enough to keep.  
  
  
Sunday afternoon following blocking, Kurt had cornered Blaine in their favorite little-used hallway, backing him into the wall with clear intent. When Maks came around the corner a few minutes later, they were still technically fully clothed, but that was about all they had going for them. Kurt knew that the joke Maks made about all of Kurt’s strength and dance training finally coming in handy was only the tip of the iceberg.  
  
  
Before Maks could escape and spread the latest gossip to anyone who would listen, Kurt chased him down and pulled him into an empty workroom.  
  
  
“One man not enough for you, Hummel?” Maks asked, grinning.  
  
  
“You’re hilarious.” Kurt sat down in an office chair and worked on tucking his shirt back in.  
  
  
“Well, if you don’t want my body, what can I do for you?”  
  
  
“You can keep your trap shut about me and Blaine.”  
  
  
“You might want to keep your hands off each other in public, in that case. Anybody else walks by and sees that, they’re not going to need much explanation to figure it out,” Maks shot back. Kurt sighed.  
  
  
“I know. I just…”  
  
  
“Have the hots for some guy and have joined the rest of us in fallible human territory? It’s not a crime, Kurt. It makes you seem a little more normal, actually.”  
  
  
“Thanks?”  
  
  
“You’re welcome. And while I’m dispensing brilliant yet free advice, have you considered the fact that everyone already knows and no one cares?”  
  
  
“Really?”  
  
  
“Wow, you really are gone on him, aren’t you? Yes, everyone knows. No, no one cares. Live and let live, you know?” Maks leaned against a desk opposite Kurt, clearly intending to stay a while.  
  
  
“I just don’t want the wrong people finding out. Not right now.”  
  
  
“The press, you mean. You know nobody here’s going to say anything, but you might want to figure things out before it gets out there anyway. I know from personal experience just how hard it is to keep things under wraps around here.”  
  
  
“Blaine’s not out,” Kurt said. He hesitated, torn between defending him and being annoyed by the restrictions it put on both of them at the moment.  
  
  
“Right. So it seems to me that you have two options. Sneak around like little dance ninjas, or have a serious talk at some point and decide how much publicity is too much.”  
  
  
“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think? I mean this whole thing hasn’t been going on for long. What am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, be my boyfriend, but first, come out to the entire world’?”  
  
  
“From what I hear, Blaine’s been dating you for at least a few weeks now, even if you were too dense to notice. I doubt he’d be that surprised by that conversation.”  
  
  
“I swear you have spies,” Kurt muttered.  
  
  
“No, I just have a partner who’s completely enamored with one of your closest friends on set. She tells me things.”  
  
  
“Speaking of,” Kurt said, happy for a chance to change the topic, “what’s going on there? Santana seems a little much for Brit.”  
  
  
“Santana?” Maks scoffed. “She’s all bark and no bite. I almost made her cry last week. I’m sure I’ll get there before the season’s out. And anyway, she practically worships Brittany. It’s disgustingly precious, and your darling Brit-Brit holds all the power.”  
  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
  
“Absolutely. If anyone’s in danger, it’s ‘Tana. She’s tough on the outside, but she’s started to let her marshmallow center show. Not that I expect Brit to hurt her on purpose or anything, but still.”  
  
  
“You’re saying I shouldn’t worry about them.”  
  
  
“Pretty much. Seems like you have enough to keep up with at the moment. Also, I still intend to kick your ass on the dance floor.” Maks got up and patted Kurt on the shoulder.  
  
  
“Same goes,” Kurt said, punching Maks lightly in the arm in return.  
  
  
Maks had only been gone for a minute or two when Blaine appeared in the doorway, looking slightly sheepish.  
  
  
“All clear?”  
  
  
“Yep. I sent the big, bad dancer on his way.” Kurt grinned when Blaine rolled his eyes. “I’ve known him longer, so I’m pretty sure that was in my department.”  
  
  
“Let me guess: Elizabeth is my territory?”  
  
  
“Have I mentioned that you’re very smart?” Kurt got up and coaxed Blaine inside so he could shut the door.  
  
  
“Feel free to mention it anytime. I don’t mind.”  
  
  
“Of course you don’t.”  
  
  
“I’m a pop star – unearned flattery is my bread and butter.”  
  
  
“Did I say smart? I meant ridiculous,” Kurt said. “And speaking of ridiculous, is Bitsy really letting you dance a paso to Don’t You Want Me?”  
  
  
“What’s wrong with that?” Blaine said, pulling Kurt to him as his back rested against the door. “Don’t you?”  
  
  
“Ridiculous,” Kurt said again, but the sting of his insult was lost in the movement of his lips on Blaine’s.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next night, Kurt was amazed that both he and Blaine managed to perform quality pasos, distracted as they’d been all week. Kim had been very patient with Kurt, working hard when they both had time to fully focus but letting him go with a teasing smile when his thoughts and attention drifted to Blaine. Kurt knew, though, that the same thing couldn’t happen for the next week if they made it through. They would have rumba, a tricky dance even for the best dancers, as well as a group dance that would pull their attention away from productive rehearsals. And as if that wasn’t enough, Kurt was one of four dancers included in Blaine’s live performance during the results show the next week, which meant additional rehearsals and ample opportunity for more distractions.  
  
  
“Kurt? Kurt!” As though to prove his point, Kurt realized that Kim was standing in front of him, trying to get his attention. She’d probably been there for a while, since the commercial break was just ending.  
  
  
“Hi, sorry,” he said, scooting over to make room for her on the bench lining the Celebraquarium balcony. He’d meant to be critiquing the other dancers, but his mind had been miles away.  
  
  
“Show’s almost over, love. Rory and Tina just sambaed, I think. It was kind of strange.”  
  
  
“We’re toast,” Tina said in agreement as she flopped down next to Kurt. “That boy should stick to kicking things, because he is not built for the ballroom.”  
  
  
“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Kurt said loyally.  
  
  
“You really weren’t watching, were you?” Tina asked, grinning at him. “I bet your daydreams were way better than what actually happened. But you should pay attention now – Mike and Lauren are up.”  
  
  
All three of them turned back to watch the floor, where Lauren and Mike were performing the most unusual and yet brilliant samba Kurt had seen in a long time. They were dancing to I Know What Boys Like, which was an oddly perfect choice for Lauren, who looked like she was having a blast. The audience was obviously into it as well, if the ovation they got at the end of the routine was any indication. The judges weren’t quite as uniformly complimentary, but that wasn’t a surprise.  
  
  
“Mike looks like he’s having fun this season,” Kurt commented, and Tina nodded her agreement.  
  
  
“Lauren’s a little unorthodox, but she’s great to work with, apparently. Her fanbase really isn’t big enough to overcome her lack of natural dance ability, so Mike’s just enjoying it while he can.”  
  
  
“Smart. I, on the other hand, am counting on Kim’s legions of fans and my penchant for perfection to carry us through,” Kurt said. When Kim elbowed him, he added, “And, of course, she’s not a terrible dancer…”  
  
  
“It’s a good thing I adore you, you brat,” Kim said.  
  
  
“And it’s a good thing I’m so brilliant and talented,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“And modest,” Kim said.  
  
  
“Oh, always,” Tina said, laughing.  
  
  
The show was about to wrap up, so the three of them headed down to the floor with the other dancers. On the way, Kurt felt a hand squeeze his and looked up to see Blaine passing him. They locked eyes for a moment and Blaine’s smile warmed in a way that made Kurt’s cheeks go pink.  
  
  
“Smitten kitten,” Kim murmured in his ear as she looped her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace.  
  
  
“So?” Kurt said, automatically smiling for the camera as it panned past them.  
  
  
“Nothing wrong with that. I like it when you’re happy. You’re much nicer to me in rehearsal,” she quipped.  
  
  
“Speaking of, fancy getting a head start on the rumba?” It wasn’t the best idea, given that they hadn’t made it through officially yet, but Kurt was ready to move forward. He could use every focused moment he could get.  
  
  
“Let me talk to Grant and say goodnight to the kids, and then I’m yours.”  
  
  
They finally went off air, so Kurt and Kim split up to take care of their various errands before meeting back up for post-show press. They smiled and laughed and finished one another’s sentences in all the right places, charming the reporters thoroughly but efficiently, and then hurried off to change into practice clothes. Kurt was just returning from his trailer when Blaine caught up with him.  
  
  
“Not coming out with us tonight?” Blaine asked. Kurt thought he could detect some disappointment in Blaine’s tone.  
  
  
“Not this time. I wanted to get in some advance practice, since I seem to be easily distracted lately.” Kurt smiled at Blaine as they both slipped into the practice room. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them.  
  
  
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Blaine, eyelashes fluttering and a silly grin on his face.  
  
  
“And you’re not responsible for it, either, hm?” Kurt’s fingers were drawn inexorably toward a lock of Blaine’s hair curling behind his ear. He anchored his hand there, drawing Blaine’s face up for a kiss. “Go. Have fun. I’ll see you for hell day tomorrow.”  
  
  
“You make it sound so appealing.” Blaine leaned back just enough to look at Kurt before crowding close again and brushing his lips softly across Kurt’s.  
  
  
“We’ll survive it. We’re far too popular and fabulous not to. Plus, it’s early days still. Other people still suck more than you do.”  
  
  
“Harsh words, Mr. Professional.”  
  
  
“That’s my jaded, experienced side talking. You’d better get used to it, since it’s likely to get worse as the season goes on.”  
  
  
“I like all sides of you so far,” Blaine said, making Kurt smile.  
  
  
“You’re really a romantic, aren’t you? Any other guy would have taken that opening and gone for a dirty joke.”  
  
  
“I’m a gentleman.” Blaine was smiling, but he sounded serious. Kurt leaned forward to press a kiss to his temple and linger by his ear.  
  
  
“I hope you’re not too much of a gentleman,” he whispered before pulling back. This was dangerous territory to be entering with Kim due for rehearsal any minute, but Kurt couldn’t seem to help himself.  
  
  
“Mmmm,” Blaine replied, his agreement sounding slightly wanton. He leaned back into Kurt, kissing him fully. They stayed that way, limbs entwined, mouths moving hotly together, until an amused voice broke through their reverie.  
  
  
“Nice show, boys. How much do I owe?” They looked up and realized Kim was standing a few feet away, grinning maniacally.  
  
  
“Mood ruiner,” Kurt muttered darkly as he extracted himself from Blaine. Blaine looked rumpled and delicious, and Kurt was half-tempted to scrap his plans for rehearsal and follow wherever Blaine might lead. But no – he had a job to do and a partner who deserved his full attention. A partner who would be teasing him mercilessly for the next hour, at least. Kurt sighed, gave Blaine a quick kiss in apology, and then turned to face Kim.  
  
  
“Bye, Blainers! I’ll make sure Kurtsie calls you later!” Kim called brightly. Blaine waved as he ducked out of the room.  
  
  
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Kurt said once the door closed behind Blaine, “but I’m so, so glad I have a brother, clueless oaf that he often is. Having a sister would be pure torture.”  
  
  
“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment,” Kim said. She dropped down into a chair to put her practice shoes on. “So what’s the plan, boss?”  
  
  
“No music, no choreo – just technique,” Kurt said decisively. He pulled Kim to her feet before she could change her mind and focus on teasing rather than dancing. “Rumba is a dance of love, of give and take, of chase and capture. But before we can get there, it all begins in the knees.”  
  
  
“The knees? That sounds the opposite of sexy.”  
  
  
“Just trust me on this one, ok? I have some ideas.”  
  
  
Even as Kurt began the painstaking process of teaching Kim the proper hip action required for the rumba, his thoughts drifted back to his time with Blaine and forward to the routine he would build and the message he would send. He might not be able to dance with Blaine on stage, but Kurt could build a performance with him in mind. He thought Kim would play along once he filled her in. After all, she was the one who wanted to play matchmaker, and he’d just thought of the perfect song.  
  
  
It would be a risk, both personally and professionally. Kurt figured it was time to shake things up a little.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inappropriate use of rehearsal time and space, group dance shenanigans, and adorable children.

 

 

“I’m the least sexy man on the planet,” Blaine declared, turning wide, pleading eyes on Kurt.  
  
  
It was Thursday night, and they were in one of the small rehearsal studios while Kurt attempted to translate latin hip action into something Blaine could comprehend. Bitsy had tried her hardest for the past two days, but she’d finally given in and sent Blaine Kurt’s way for help.  
  
  
As much as Kurt disagreed with Blaine’s comment on principle, he had to admit that rumba was not Blaine’s dance. His movement was looking more constipated than seductive. Try as he might, Kurt couldn’t help but giggle as Blaine wobbled around the floor one more time.  
  
  
“Oh, honey, no,” Kurt said, trying to suppress his smile. “You’re looking a little rough, but I don’t think People’s taking you off their sexiest man list quite yet.”  
  
  
“I just want to be good at it, Kurt,” Blaine whined. “Why am I not good at it?”  
  
  
“Do you know how long it takes most people to get the rumba? Longer than two days – that’s for sure. Give yourself a break. You’re going to be fine. Worst comes to worst, just grin at everyone and they’ll throw a million votes your way.”  
  
  
“I don’t want to get by on my charm, though.” Blaine was pouting now, his lower lip pushing out adorably. Kurt strode over to gather Blaine up in his arms.  
  
  
“You’re completely destroying my tough teacher reputation here, you know?” Kurt commented, kissing Blaine’s temple. “How am I supposed to kick your butt if you’re too cute to yell at?”  
  
  
“Will you show me one more time?” Blaine asked by way of response, nuzzling closer for a second before stepping back expectantly.  
  
  
“I suppose.”  
  
  
Kurt wandered away to queue up Blaine’s music, running through the routine in his head. It was straightforward, which was smart of Bitsy. Blaine didn’t need anything crazy on top of an already difficult dance style. The challenge with rumba was that it was deceptively simple, the basic movement making every flaw more noticeable. Kurt began dancing, overemphasizing his motions so that Blaine could really see what he should be doing.  
  
  
Midway through, Kurt glanced over and noticed that Blaine’s eyes were locked on his hips. He was either very focused on learning or very, very distracted. Kurt smirked and danced a little closer, pretending not to notice Blaine’s reaction. Blaine might not be the best at rumba, but Kurt certainly knew where his own power lay.  
  
  
The performance music ended, looping into a rumba-appropriate instrumental. Kurt kept moving, his back to Blaine, and wasn’t remotely surprised when he felt Blaine’s hands cupping his hips and Blaine’s lips brushing against the back of his neck.  
  
  
“Do you think I can learn by osmosis?” Blaine murmured, his knuckles rubbing across the skin above Kurt’s waistband.  
  
  
“Not my usual teaching technique, but it might work.” Kurt lifted one hand and reached back to tangle his fingers in Blaine’s hair and keep him close.  
  
  
“Good, because I think I might respond best to hands on learning.”  
  
  
“That was a terrible line,” Kurt said, giggling and then gasping when Blaine bit at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Kurt went willingly when Blaine used the hand on his stomach to pull them closer, their hips settling together. Blaine was just a little shorter than him but fit against him like a puzzle piece.  
  
  
“Did it work? Because this is, for me at least.”  
  
  
“Oh, me too,” Kurt said a bit breathlessly. He stepped out to the side just slightly, rotating his hips, and shivered when Blaine moved with him. “You’re an excellent student.”  
  
  
“Perhaps because I’m learning from a master.” Blaine’s fingers found their way under Kurt’s shirt and ghosted across his stomach. “I feel sexier already.”  
  
  
“You really do,” Kurt said, flushing when Blaine chuckled behind him. Blaine’s chuckle turned to a groan when Kurt leaned back into him, his free hand reaching back to trace down over Blaine’s hip to his ass.  
  
  
“Please tell me everyone’s gone home and one of our nosy friends isn’t going to walk in here,” Blaine said, coaxing Kurt to turn around so he could get at his mouth.  
  
  
“I locked the door,” Kurt admitted between kisses. “After-hours practice habit.”  
  
  
“You’re brilliant. And gorgeous. And when you dance, god…” Blaine’s words trailed off as he focused on getting Kurt’s shirt off. “I can’t seem to keep my hands to myself.”  
  
  
“Do you hear me complaining?” Kurt made short work of Blaine’s shirt in turn and moved closer immediately, reveling in the hot press of skin on skin. He kept moving, crowding Blaine up against the mirrored wall.  
  
  
Blaine didn’t reply. He only leaned up to kiss Kurt again, long and slow and thorough, while his hands mapped the contours of Kurt’s back. Arousal twisted tight and hot in Kurt’s stomach, and he reached down to toy with the tie of Blaine’s pants.  
  
  
“May I?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Anything,” Blaine said. “Please.”  
  
  
Kurt kissed down the slope of Blaine’s shoulder, his fingers dancing along Blaine’s waistband.  
  
  
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that teasing is mean?” Blaine breathed, shifting against him.  
  
  
“Not teasing. Just getting warmed up.” Kurt’s fingers slipped further down, finding Blaine warm and hard and smooth as he took him in hand. He stroked gently at first, until Blaine whined into his neck, begging him wordlessly for more. Kurt sped up his motions, loving the heat of skin on skin as their chests pressed together.  
  
  
They moved against one another without finesse, intent on touching and being touched. Their lips met and parted messily, kisses broken up by gasps and groans. Blaine, rough with impatience, pulled Kurt’s hand away so they could rut against one another, the friction of the layers between them both exquisite and torturous. Not a minute later, they were both coming, panting into one another’s mouths as their hips stuttered together.  
  
  
They slumped against the mirror, Kurt’s forehead coming to rest against Blaine’s neck. Blaine caught his breath first, bringing his hands up to rub soothingly down Kurt’s back as he turned his head and kissed Kurt’s cheek. He laughed softly when Kurt huffed against his skin.  
  
  
“Well, this is uncomfortably sticky,” Blaine said, and Kurt snorted. “Reminds me of being sixteen again.”  
  
  
“What kind of salacious sixteen-year-old were you?” Kurt joked, pulling back to look at Blaine.  
  
  
“I went to an all boys’ boarding school.”  
  
  
“That explains so much.” Kurt leaned in for a kiss before Blaine could form his retort. “So I feel kind of gross, but that was…”  
  
  
“Hot.”  
  
  
“Really hot.”  
  
  
“We should do it again some time, but perhaps with fewer clothes.” Blaine looked hopeful.  
  
  
“Just not tonight. Bitsy would never forgive us for losing focus. Neither would Kim, for that matter. Neither would I.” Kurt smiled apologetically, but he needn’t have worried. Blaine was already straightening up, understanding in his gaze.  
  
  
They separated for a few minutes, retreating into their trailers to change, before walking to their cars together. It could have been awkward, but wasn’t. Kurt was thankful for small favors, since they were sure to face plenty of challenges, both personal and professional, in the coming days.  
  
  
Next to Blaine’s car, Kurt dropped his bag so he could cup Blaine’s face in his hands. They shared a smile, followed by a slow, sweet kiss that made Kurt’s heart ache a little.  
  
  
“See you tomorrow?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Of course. I plan to steal you away for lunch.”  
  
  
“Sounds perfect.” Another smile, another kiss, and then Kurt stepped back so Blaine could get in the driver’s seat.  
  
  
“Sweet dreams, Kurt.” Blaine reached out to squeeze Kurt’s hand one last time.  
  
  
“The sweetest,” Kurt agreed, before turning to head for his own vehicle. He had a feeling he would sleep a lot easier tonight than he had in a while.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Rehearsal with Kim the next morning went incredibly well, and lunch in Blaine’s trailer was both cozy and charming. Those were the only reasons Kurt didn’t roll his eyes so hard that they stuck in the back of his head once he got to group dance rehearsal and found out they’d be dancing to You Can’t Stop the Beat.  
  
  
“How did I know it would be some gimmicky faux-lindy-swing-jive crap?” Kurt muttered to Lacey as they stood off to the side and watched the guest choreographer demonstrate the routine.  
  
  
“Because you’ve seen more than five minutes of the show, perhaps? You know they always do this, Kurt. They’re trying to keep it fun.”  
  
  
“By torturing us.”  
  
  
“Of course, honey,” Lacey said, patting his hand where it was gripping her shoulder. “Now smile and play nice, and we can get this over with.”  
  
  
Kurt gritted his teeth and went to find Kim so they could get their blocking and begin work on their brief solo. Kurt’s mood lightened when he saw Blaine across the room, laughing as Bitsy tried to flip him over her back. If they didn’t manage to break both their necks, they would be adorable.  
  
  
Blaine and Bitsy landed in a heap on the floor, none the worse for wear, and Kurt’s smile returned for real. Kim grinned back at him, obviously pleased.  
  
  
“I knew that boy would be good for you,” she said.  
  
  
“And we’ve reached the ‘I told you so’ portion of the program,” Kurt replied, but his grin gave his improving mood away.  
  
  
“What of it? You’re happy; I’m happy. It’s a win-win.”  
  
  
“True.”  
  
  
“So have you two talked or have your mouths been otherwise occupied?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“Kim!” Kurt laughed, slightly scandalized, mostly from the truth of her statement.  
  
  
“I’m going to take that as ‘too busy to talk,’ then,” she replied. “Which, good for you for getting some, but at some point Cedes is going to take matters into her own hands and sit that boy down for a chat.”  
  
  
“I know, I know. But I have that plan with the rumba. We’ll talk Monday night, probably.”  
  
  
“If he doesn’t fall to his knees in gratitude for your sexy dancing and then have his wicked way with you, you mean,” Kim replied, obviously trying to shock him.  
  
  
“I’m sure there will be time for a little bit of everything,” Kurt said. Kim laughed loudly, earning them a frown from the choreographer. “Time to focus, star student of mine.”  
  
  
“Yes sir, Mr. Hummel.” Kim fluttered her lashes obnoxiously, which made them both giggle.  
  
  
“We are so getting kicked out of rehearsal,” Kurt whispered once everyone had stopped looking at them.  
  
  
“I’m sure Blaine’ll teach it to you later, particularly if it involves any hip action,” Kim said, patting his cheek. “Aw, look at you – you’re blushing!”  
  
  
“Ok, for real, time to stop. And focus. On something other than embarrassing me.”  
  
  
Kim started humming something suspiciously like Let’s Get it On, which made Kurt’s face flush even hotter. He decided to try a particularly complicated lift to keep her occupied, which seemed to work. She couldn’t tease him when she was upside-down and trying not to fall on her head. He’d have to remember that technique.  
  
  
Rehearsal went by quickly after that, full of the usual mix of epic failure, surprisingly awesome moves, and absurd group choreography. Kurt managed to keep his snide remarks mostly to himself, which was lucky, because Grant showed up with the kids toward the end of rehearsal, and neither Kurt nor Kim wanted to be stuck going over simple steps for a second longer than necessary.  
  
  
When the choreographer finally released them, Molly and Jake came flying across the floor and attached themselves to Kurt’s legs. He lifted them both up for hugs and kisses while Kim went to say hello to her husband.  
  
  
“Hi guys!” Kurt spun them around to make them giggle.  
  
  
“Hi Kurt!” Molly chirped, looking around the studio with wide eyes.  
  
  
Molly launched into a complicated description of their day so far and their plans for pizza for dinner, while Jake smiled shyly and hid his face in Kurt’s shoulder. After a minute, Molly squirmed to get down, excited to go say hi to ‘Miss Lacey,’ who was ‘the prettiest dancer after Mommy,’ apparently. Kurt was about to try to get Jake to talk when Blaine walked up to them.  
  
  
“Hey, Jake,” Blaine said, running a hand down Jake’s back. “Did you come to see your mom and Kurt dance?”  
  
  
“Uh huh.” Jake nodded, smiling sweetly.  
  
  
“They’re pretty great, aren’t they? Are you going to dance like them when you get bigger?”  
  
  
“Yeah!”  
  
  
Jake’s nod this time was much more animated, and he leaned away from Kurt’s arms toward Blaine. Blaine scooped him up easily, brushing a cheek across his hair, which made something warm and affectionate unfurl in Kurt’s chest. Kurt watched as Blaine leaned down to whisper in Jake’s ear. Whatever he said must have been good, because Jake grinned and turned his head to whisper back.  
  
  
“What are you two plotting?” Kurt asked, pretending to be put out.  
  
  
“Nothing,” Blaine replied, as two adorable smiles were turned Kurt’s way. “We just agreed that you’re the bestest pro dancer and it’s lucky that Jake’s mommy gets to dance with you.”  
  
  
“The bestest, huh?”  
  
  
Jake nodded, his eyes huge, and Kurt couldn’t help but to crowd in and blow a raspberry on Jake’s neck, making him giggle and squirm.  
  
  
“Kuuuurt!” Jake whined, trying to get Blaine to hide him.  
  
  
“Uh oh!” Kim said, as she walked up with Grant and grabbed Jake. “Is someone trying to steal a tasty nibble from my boy? He hasn’t even had his pizza yet – he’ll be way more scrumptious after that.”  
  
  
“That’s true,” Grant said, grinning. “It’s something about the grease and happiness, I think.”  
  
  
“No no no!” Jake said, clinging to Kim. “I’m a boy, not a sandwich!”  
  
  
All the adults laughed, and Kurt shot Kim a look. “This sounds like a debate that happens often at your house.”  
  
  
“Something like that. You can see for yourself if you’ll come around for a little babysitting duty. Both of you.” Kim smiled at Blaine, all innocence, and of course he fell for it and nodded.  
  
  
“That would be really fun, actually. Don’t you think so, Kurt?” Blaine said.  
  
  
“I think I could be talked into it for my two favorite munchkins,” Kurt agreed. Jake cheered.  
  
  
“Next Friday?” Kim asked. Kurt and Blaine agreed, and she leaned over to kiss them each on the cheek while Jake gave them hugs. “Do you want me to order pizza, or…?”  
  
  
“I’m sure Blaine and I can manage dinner, Kim. What do you say to homemade mac and cheese, Jakesters?”  
  
  
Jake made yummy noises and wiggled down so he could chase after his sister, probably to fill her in on the babysitting plans.  
  
  
“Seriously, guys, thank you.” Grant said. “With our schedules lately, we haven’t been on a proper date in ages. This will be great.”  
  
  
“Our pleasure,” Blaine said. “Maybe we’ll even read some more Harry Potter.”  
  
  
Kurt could feel his face heating up at the mention of their previous meeting in the playroom, but Blaine’s hand on his back, stroking soothingly up and down, went a long way toward relieving his embarrassment.  
  
  
The foursome caught up for a few minutes more before Kim and Grant decided it was time to round up the kids for dinner. Hugs, kisses, and handshakes were shared all around, and then Kurt and Blaine were left in a rapidly emptying studio.  
  
  
“Got dinner plans?” Blaine blinked up at Kurt, his criminally-long lashes brushing against his cheeks.  
  
  
“I was planning on an early night – I have to work out choreo for your results show number tomorrow morning with Lacey. But I could eat.”  
  
  
“Simple dinner and an early night it is,” Blaine said. He slipped his hand into Kurt’s as they walked toward their trailers, like he’d been doing so forever.  
  
  
“Sounds perfect.” Kurt said. He was beginning to realize that he would do a lot to keep it that way.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On show day, Kurt connects with someone important, and then sends a message through his rumba with uncertain results.

 

 

Monday morning’s sunrise was obscured by rain, but Kurt went to the beach anyway. He needed the alone time more than ever, these days, with the competition getting more intense and Blaine taking up more than his fair share of attention. Kurt vacillated between being charmed by the idea of a whirlwind romance and wishing that Blaine had appeared at any moment other than this one. He’d always thought there couldn’t be too much of a good thing, but Blaine and Kim – emotion and performance – were making him question that theory.  
  
  
Kurt trudged down the damp sand to the water’s edge, the songs he would be performing to playing in a loop on his ipod. He felt ready to dance and knew Kim was going to be great. The nerves settled low in his belly were for Blaine, who had made an uneasy peace with the rumba that could be broken at any time.  
  
  
The night before, Kurt had brought salads to the studio for Blaine and Bitsy, his nominal dislike of the girl fading in the face of their rehearsal difficulties. He’d been there, and he knew how it felt when things just wouldn’t come together. It was the worst possible feeling, knowing that this dance, the one you didn’t love, could be your last. He’d cheered them up as best he could, telling ridiculous rehearsal and competition stories, and then he’d headed out, but not before he pulled Blaine outside for a few kisses and whispered words of encouragement.  
  
  
Kurt had contemplated calling Blaine to meet him for breakfast, but he figured Blaine could use the extra sleep for once. Plus, Kurt knew that at this point Blaine just needed to focus, and Kurt would do well to take his own advice and do the same.  
  
  
On the way back to the car, Kurt dialed his dad, knowing that he would be home and awake, getting ready for his day. When he answered, gruff as always, Kurt smiled.  
  
  
“Hi, Dad.”  
  
  
“Morning, Kurt. Ready for your big day? Carole’s invited the whole neighborhood over for a voting party.”  
  
  
“Doesn’t she always?” Kurt said dryly as he pulled into traffic. “Just do me a favor and go easy on Mrs. Evans’ 9-layer dip, will you? You know all that crap is bad for you.”  
  
  
“All these years and you’d think you’d have figured out that I’m the parent,” his dad quipped.  
  
  
“Cute. But seriously, I mean it. I want you around for years and years. And I don’t want to have to explain to my kids why Grandpa can’t get up out of his damn recliner.”  
  
  
“I swear the bossy side must have come from your mother,” Burt said, but Kurt could tell that he was smiling. “I’ve always been so easy-going.”  
  
  
“Oh, sure. That’s absolutely why you landed in the hospital last year. Because you’re so laid back. Tell me another one, but make it believable this time.”  
  
  
“So,” Burt said, changing the subject, “what’s going on with you? You don’t usually call on show days.”  
  
  
“Nothing much,” Kurt said to buy himself some time. He hadn’t called intending to spill his guts, but now that they were talking, he found himself wanting to tell his dad everything. Burt Hummel was his rock, and his approval would mean the world to Kurt.  
  
  
“Now that’s a lie,” Burt said. “I’m sure you’re rehearsing like mad. I hope you’re still finding a minute or two for fun. That worrying thing goes both ways, you know.”  
  
  
“I know. And that’s the thing. I’m working hard, but it’s getting complicated on set, a little bit. Remember how I told you that there was sort of a potential on the horizon?”  
  
  
“Oh boy. Is it time to play the guess which co-star game? Since I know you’re not stepping out with your dance partner, that narrows things down.”  
  
  
“Dad…” Kurt could practically hear his dad clapping his hands together in glee. He loved teasing his kids almost as much as he loved them.  
  
  
“Is it that kid with the hair?” Burt continued as though he hadn’t heard Kurt. “The little one. He looks like he’d be easily intimidated.”  
  
  
“Dad! You are not scaring Blaine to death. That’s not allowed.”  
  
  
“Well, now, how hard was that? You’ve answered my question. Blaine, hm?”  
  
  
“Oh my god, Dad.”  
  
  
“Carole said he seemed like a very nice boy. And before you get all riled up, that’s all she told me. I was the one who said he seemed like someone you’d go for. Nice manners, fancy clothes, and a big smile.”  
  
  
“It’s scary that you can pick that up just from television.”  
  
  
“All part of the training, kid. Embarrassment and Deduction 101 – it’s in all the secret parenting manuals.” His dad was enjoying this way too much.  
  
  
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Of course I am. I’m not there to harass him in person yet, so I have to make do with you.”  
  
  
“Lucky me.”  
  
  
“You know it.” Burt laughed for a minute, and then turned serious. “Listen, Kurt, I just want you to be happy. Does he make you happy?”  
  
  
“Yeah,” Kurt responded without thought. “He really does. He’s sweet and smart and loves my dancing.”  
  
  
“Smart kid,” Burt said. Kurt felt warmed through by the pride in his voice.  
  
  
“It’s still really new, right now, but I think…I’d like you to meet him at some point.”  
  
  
“Of course. When you make the finale, I’ll be there. We’ll do it then.”  
  
  
“Yeah. When I make it.” His dad’s confidence made Kurt feel like it was a sure bet. “Listen, Dad, I should go. I have a lot to get done before the show. But I’ll call you Wednesday so we can talk through the show.”  
  
  
“Just like always. You bet,” Burt said. “I love you.”  
  
  
“I love you too, Dad. Tell the same to Carole.”  
  
  
“You got it. Kick some tail tonight.”  
  
  
“Will do.”  
  
  
They hung up, and a few minutes later Kurt pulled into the studio lot, feeling settled and ready to tackle the day. His dad had that effect on him – he kept Kurt grounded and made everything seem like a challenge he could meet. Kurt went about his show day business with a light heart and a clear head. When Kim met him a little while later to rehearse, her relaxed smile and easy grace made him certain – it was going to be a great show.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Once the show began, Kurt tucked himself into a corner of the balcony with Kim at his side. She held his hand, commenting occasionally on the other performances, but mostly sitting quietly with him. He loved that she could read his mood so well.  
  
  
It wasn’t that he was nervous, exactly. The performance would go smoothly – he trusted himself and Kim with that. But this was the first time he’d ever wanted to make this kind of personal statement with the combination of song and dance. He hoped it worked. He hoped Blaine understood. Most of all, he hoped he didn’t chicken out and decide not to say anything about it to Blaine at all.  
  
  
A few minutes before it was their turn, Kim stood up and pulled Kurt to his feet. It was time to get warmed up. She turned to face him, smiling and leaning up to kiss his cheek.  
  
  
“Courage, love. All you have to do is get him to pay close attention. We’ve got the rest.”  
  
  
She squeezed his hand and then scooted down the row of seats, pausing at the end of the row to bestow a brilliant smile on Blaine. When Kurt made his way down to Blaine, he looked up bemusedly.  
  
  
“Your partner’s quite the charmer,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“I could say the same to Bitsy,” Kurt said, the quip an attempt to cover his nerves. “So, hey…”  
  
  
“Yeah?” Blaine reached out to take Kurt’s hands in his own, which was almost too much.  
  
  
“When we dance, don’t just watch. I mean, I know you’ll watch, but listen too, ok?”  
  
  
“Ok?” Blaine looked up at him curiously, his thumbs stroking soothingly over Kurt’s knuckles.  
  
  
“Just, please?” Kurt knew he should be more eloquent, but he was feeling weirdly anxious now.  
  
  
“Of course. Go. Knock my socks off.”  
  
  
“You’re not wearing socks,” Kurt said stupidly, but Blaine just laughed and released Kurt’s hands.  
  
  
“No metaphors on performance nights. Got it. Go dance. I’ll listen while I watch, promise.”  
  
  
“Ok. Good. Great.” Kurt retreated before he could babble nonsensically for any longer. When he chanced a glance back, Blaine was still watching him with a sweet smile.  
  
  
Backstage, Kurt fell into Kim’s arms, feeling idiotic. Kim clucked at him, petting his shoulder while she listed all the reasons that this was a great idea and Blaine wasn’t going to know what hit him, but in the very best way. Within a minute or two, Kurt had relaxed, and he got himself back in performance mode. He was so thankful that he had a partner who could take over when his dramatic tendencies got the better of him.  
  
  
They put their heads together as they always did, talking quickly through the entire dance before marking through the basics. At this point, they knew the whole thing backward and forward. It was just a matter of giving it that little extra something that they both wanted it to have.  
  
  
They made their way to the floor slowly, trying to hang onto the sense of calm that they were beginning to find when they danced together. Kim turned into Kurt’s arms for their opening pose, and he blocked out the audience with the ease of long practice, but not before he glanced up and saw that Blaine’s eyes were focused in on him. He could do this. He would do this. Starting now.  
  
  
The first progression of notes sounded, followed by Rachel’s voice, soft and plaintive. Kurt had never particularly loved Taking Chances, but this arrangement, this moment, made it somehow perfect. Kurt’s hand came up to hold the back of Kim’s head as he twisted to cradle her in his arms. They rocked slowly, side to side, and then on the second phrase Kim pulled away, beginning the give and take, the push and pull that would carry them through. Kurt followed her, wrapping her back up as their hips shifted in perfect latin rhythm.  
  
  
It was sexy, definitely, but it was also reflective, and then, as the music built, more daring. Unlike most rumbas on the show, theirs was fast, as befitted the song and its title. Kim flashed past him time after time, going out on her own before coming back when she remembered that her hand was still in his. As the song asked “ _maybe you could take me in, somewhere underneath your skin_ ,” Kurt pulled Kim close before bending her back over his hands in a low dip.  
  
  
A measure later, she was on her feet again, and they moved across the floor in tandem, taking turns chasing and being chased. Their every movement embodied risk and reward; Kim’s fierce grin as they raced toward the end made Kurt believe that reward would win out when all was said and done. And then, somehow, the music was slowing again. Kim came back to Kurt, her hands cradling his face until he lifted one to turn her in a slow circle, once and then again. By the final refrain, Kim had melted into Kurt’s arms, her head tucked under Kurt’s chin. The music faded away, and Kurt looked up, only to discover that Blaine was nowhere to be found.  
  
  
Kurt schooled his expression into something other than the mild panic he was feeling before he pulled back from Kim to head for the judges. He missed most of what they said, but figured from Kim’s excited hops next to him that they had to have been pretty good comments. Kim dragged him up the steps to receive their scores – 8s and a 9 from Bruno – and then steered him backstage so they could change for the group dance.  
  
  
They made it back to the Celebraquarium just in time to see Blaine and Bitsy take the floor. Blaine looked jumpy, and Bitsy had him by the shoulder, whispering rapidly into his ear. He smiled as they moved apart again, but even from this distance, Kurt could tell that it wasn’t his usual exuberant grin. Kurt couldn’t decide whether it would be worse for Blaine’s mood to be the result of the dance or his thoughts about Kurt’s performance.  
  
  
“Bold move, Hummel,” Santanta said as she sat down next to him to watch. “Curly Sue looked like he didn’t know what hit him.”  
  
  
“Excuse me?” Kurt was distracted by the beginning of Blaine and Bitsy’s dance, which looked profoundly mediocre.  
  
  
“Wow, looks like you broke him. Or he’s just hopeless at romance. Maybe both.” Santana busied herself arranging her skirt just so across her lap. “Anyway, he seemed to like your little demonstration. Hard to tell with all that smiling he does all the time, but he didn’t run screaming from the room, so.”  
  
  
“Uh, thanks?”  
  
  
“Yeah, well, I think I’ve earned my Queer Scouts badge for the day,” Santana replied, which Kurt figured was her version of you’re welcome. He thought he was beginning to see why she and Brit made sense, in an off-beat way.  
  
  
They both turned their attention back to the couple on the floor, who were getting along well enough. Kurt had been too distracted earlier to keep track of where everyone stood on the leaderboard, and he was afraid that ‘not terrible’ wasn’t going to be enough to keep Blaine out of the bottom two on Tuesday. Guilt flooded him, along with thoughts of all the things he should have done differently. The moment hadn’t been right, he was being selfish to do something so dramatic just before Blaine danced…the thoughts went round and round, broken only when Blaine and Bitsy finished and were headed back up toward him.  
  
  
On their way past, Blaine caught Kurt’s eye, giving him a look that spoke volumes, if only Kurt were fluent. He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because they were due up for the group dance in a matter of minutes. As if on cue, Kim came to find him.  
  
  
“Anything?” she asked, searching his expression carefully.  
  
  
“No, not yet. No time.” Kurt stood, and Kim looped her arm through his.  
  
  
“It’ll be fine,” she said. Kurt really, really wanted her to be right.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Results show day means it's time for Kurt and Blaine to face the consequences of their performances.

 

 

The last twenty minutes of the show felt like they took a year. Even as he made sure he didn’t drop Kim out of the complicated lift they’d settled on for the group dance, Kurt was cataloguing all the things he wanted to say to Blaine if given the chance. Blaine, for his part, kept shooting Kurt looks that were both intense and mystifying. It took all of Kim’s considerable maternal instincts to keep Kurt from bolting from the room before they managed to wrap up the show and make it through press.  
  
  
“Ok, shoo,” Kim said the moment they were done. “Go find your boy and stop giving me a vicarious panic attack. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
  
  
Kurt kissed her cheek absently, his mind already racing ahead. He stumbled past the crew members already setting up for the next night’s show, waving and nodding as required when people spoke to him. Luckily, he didn’t see Finn or Rachel, which meant that he could escape both a long conversation and dinner out. Any other night, perhaps, but not this one.  
  
  
He chanced a quick stop at his trailer to strip off his costume and change into street clothes, and then found himself outside Blaine’s trailer, hand raised to knock. It was an interminable sixty seconds before the door opened and Blaine appeared on the other side, his hair wet and curly from the shower.  
  
  
“Hi,” Kurt said, but he didn’t move until Blaine reached down to grab his hand and coax him inside. Kurt had been so brave all day, but it had deserted him now. “I’m sorry about the show.”  
  
  
“Which part?” Blaine was studying him as they stood together in front of the couch.  
  
  
“Your rumba. I know you wanted more from it.”  
  
  
“Strangely enough, I’m not that concerned with that at the moment.”  
  
  
“No?”  
  
  
“No,” Blaine sat and tugged Kurt down after him. “That dance, that song, that was for me?”  
  
  
Kurt nodded, his gaze on their intertwined fingers.  
  
  
“It was beautiful.” Blaine’s voice had gone from tentative to hushed, like a prayer. “When you dance, you’re breathtaking. That you would dance something for me is…it isn’t anything I could have imagined.”  
  
  
“The timing could have been better,” Kurt said, looking up at Blaine through lashes wet with blinked-back tears.  
  
  
“I don’t care. I could get kicked off the show tomorrow, and all I’d care to do is sit with you and listen to you talk until you ran out of things to say.”  
  
  
“God, Blaine, you can’t just say things like that.”  
  
  
“Then you can’t dance things like that. Fair is fair.” Blaine reached up to stroke across Kurt’s cheek and down to his jaw. He got up on his knees so that he could cup Kurt’s face in both hands and kiss him, delicate and thorough. Then he leaned back and just looked for a moment. “I’ve wanted to do that for hours now, ever since your music ended.”  
  
  
“Why didn’t you?” Kurt’s anxiety was still too fresh to keep the question in his mouth.  
  
  
“I had to focus, or Elizabeth would have killed me. I guess it mostly worked – that dance could have been so much worse.”  
  
  
“Seriously, my timing sucks. Kim really should have talked me out of it,” Kurt said, coming back to himself a little bit now that he knew Blaine wasn’t upset.  
  
  
“Oh, absolutely not. In fact, I’m telling her thanks tomorrow. I like this side of you. It’s refreshing.”  
  
  
“More like complicated. And poorly scheduled.”  
  
  
“I like complicated,” Blaine said, leaning back into the couch and pulling Kurt toward him. They settled with Kurt’s cheek resting against Blaine’s shoulder. Kurt was impressed that Blaine realized he’d get more from Kurt if they weren’t staring at one another.  
  
  
“That’s good. Not everyone in my life always has.” He’d been called a lot of things by frustrated exes; complicated had been the least of the accusations. Difficult and stubborn and uncommunicative had been on the list as well.  
  
  
“Well, their loss is my gain,” Blaine said blithely. “You’re worth waiting for.”  
  
  
“And were you? Waiting, I mean.” Kurt’s question made Blaine laugh.  
  
  
“God, I guess Annie really was right. I should have been more obvious.” Blaine dropped a kiss on the top of Kurt’s head. “You are one of the most gorgeous, talented people I’ve ever met. I think I wanted you, wanted this, from the moment we met.”  
  
  
“You’re not serious!” Kurt pushed up on his forearms so he could look at Blaine, whose gaze was the epitome of sincerity. “You’re serious. We’re idiots.”  
  
  
“Guess we shouldn’t subject the rest of the population to our idiocy then,” Blaine said, grinning before his gaze went suddenly, inexplicably soft. “Be with me, Kurt. Let me be with you.”  
  
  
“I thought I was the one making the grand overtures tonight,” Kurt said softly, his smile matching Blaine’s.  
  
  
“You got the dancing, give me the words.”  
  
  
“Okay. Yes. I can do that.” Kurt leaned forward, needing to kiss him, but Blaine stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and an expectant look. “Are you waiting for…Blaine Anderson, did you just ask me to be your boyfriend? Are we twelve?”  
  
  
“I adore you,” Blaine said, laughing a little. “Now answer the question.”  
  
  
“It was more of a statement, really,” Kurt said, just to earn himself a playful glare. “But yes, I’ll be your boyfriend. Pretend you passed me a note and I checked the ‘yes’ box.”  
  
  
“Mmmm, that sounds excellent,” Blaine said, beaming. “Can we make out on the couch like teenagers now?”  
  
  
“In for a penny, in for a pound,” Kurt said, and he leaned back down to capture Blaine’s lips with his.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Eventually, they made it off the couch. Then they spent twenty minutes up against the door of Kurt’s car, kissing like they were already late for curfew and might as well make the most of it. Finally, Kurt had the presence of mind to gentle the kiss and back off so that they could both catch their breaths.  
  
  
“We have a show to do tomorrow. You’re singing for it, and I have to dance. We can’t stay out all night acting like kids,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“No? It’s really fun, though.” Blaine managed to reel him back in for a few more kisses before Kurt put the brakes on once more.  
  
  
“It really is,” Kurt admitted, resting his forehead against Blaine’s. They shared a smile. “I’ll make you a deal. You can come home with me – to sleep! – and I’ll make you pancakes for breakfast.  
  
  
“Blueberry?”  
  
  
“Bought some at the farmer’s market Saturday. I have strawberries and bananas too.”  
  
  
“Sold! To the man with the fruit and the cuddles.” Blaine’s grin was silly and absolutely endearing.  
  
  
“You’re an incredibly cheap date,” Kurt said dryly.  
  
  
“Lucky you.” Blaine pulled Kurt in for one more brain-scrambling kiss, and then reached behind himself to open the car door. “Get in. I’ll race you there.”  
  
  
“You’re ridiculous!” Kurt called after Blaine’s retreating back. It figured that Blaine could go from smoldering to childishly competitive in no time at all. Kurt swung into his car. It was late enough that if he took the secret shortcut, he’d totally beat Blaine home.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Tuesday morning, Kurt woke up sweaty and with a mouthful of curls. Blaine was sprawled across him, one leg thrown across his hip and one arm anchoring Kurt in place. Somehow, Blaine had also managed to secure the blankets under his chin, which meant that they were wrapped up in a very cozy, if very warm, cocoon. Even Kurt’s feet were warm, and that never happened.  
  
  
Kurt tried not to move too much, content to enjoy having Blaine in his arms, but his change in awareness must have prompted Blaine’s, because Blaine turned his face further into Kurt’s neck and nuzzled.  
  
  
“Mmmm…pancakes?” Blaine leaned back and opened one eye hopefully.  
  
  
“You’ve been awake for 13 seconds and you’re already hungry?” Kurt stroked Blaine’s curls away from his face and kissed his forehead.  
  
  
“But, pancakes.”  
  
  
“I take back my ‘you’re a gentleman’ theory. You’re actually just a human hoover who isn’t easily distracted from food.”  
  
  
“I love food,” Blaine confirmed, now applying lips and teeth to Kurt’s neck to great effect.  
  
  
“Oh no you don’t,” Kurt said, his words belied by the way he tilted his head to give Blaine more access. “You already picked pancakes over me, and we have a schedule to keep. Results show dress for your song is in a couple of hours.”  
  
  
“Boo work. Yay kisses.”  
  
  
“You’re like an inappropriately affectionate five-year-old, I swear,” Kurt said. Blaine responded by rolling on top of Kurt and kissing him into quiescence.  
  
  
“You were saying?” Blaine said. Rumpled and delicious, he grinned down at Kurt. Kurt just blinked. “Well, then. In that case, I vote pancakes.”  
  
  
Blaine kissed the tip of Kurt’s nose and then bounded out of bed humming a happy little song. By the time Kurt caught up with him a few minutes later in the kitchen, he was standing, perplexed, in front of Kurt’s coffeemaker.  
  
  
“Is it alive? Is it going to eat my hand if I try to make normal coffee?” Blaine turned to face Kurt, scratching idly at his very naked chest. Kurt couldn’t decide what to respond to first – the absurd things coming out of Blaine’s mouth or the gorgeous things going on with the rest of him.  
  
  
“I’ll make coffee,” Kurt finally said, stepping closer to skim his hands over Blaine’s sides and up his back. “You can be my rather underdressed sous chef.”  
  
  
“Aren’t those the best kinds?” Blaine fluttered his lashes, and Kurt had to admit that ridiculous just turned into ridiculously attractive on him.  
  
  
“Survey’s still out, but so far things are looking good.” Kurt responded with a lascivious wink, which made them both laugh. Blaine was still laughing when Kurt captured his lips for a kiss.  
  
  
Between kisses and caresses and playful banter, they managed pancakes and coffee. They curled up on the couch to eat, pressed hip to hip with one plate between them. Kurt fed Blaine bites of pancake, and Blaine reciprocated with pieces of fruit. It was cliché and utterly wonderful.  
  
  
They were out the door fifteen minutes late by Kurt’s reckoning, which was on time for anyone else. They spent the ride on speakerphone, singing along to the music on Blaine’s ipod. His selections grew steadily more somber as they got closer to set, which reminded Kurt that today was an elimination day, and his newly-minted boyfriend was anything but a sure bet to stay on the show. They pulled up next to one another and walked together to hair and makeup, where Cedes gave Kurt a meaningful look but went about her business as usual. Kurt knew they had a lot to catch up on when they met up after the show.  
  
  
Kurt was done first, for once, so he went quickly to wardrobe and then to the ballroom to meet Lacey. The number Blaine was singing was a bit of a throwback to their teenage years, beautifully lyrical and emotional, and Kurt and Lacey had put everything they had into the choreography for the sake of performance and nostalgia. Chelsie and Mark were dancing with them, and their quartet was going to be spectacular.  
  
  
Dress went well, with only minor timing and spacing issues. Kurt found Blaine for a quick kiss before they both ran off to find their partners. They’d have to perform the group dance again during the results show, so most couples were using the afternoon to polish up their solos. Bitsy, Kurt knew, would have her hands full keeping Blaine from jumping out of his skin from a combination of anticipation and nerves. Kurt and Kim would be beginning work on their dances for next week.  
  
  
Or, at least, that had been Kurt’s plan, until Kim waltzed into their practice room, sat down on the nearest chair, and demanded that Kurt give her ‘the update.’  
  
  
“Why do I get the impression that what you really want is a sexy play-by-play?” Kurt asked. Kim cackled and fished in her bag for her phone. “What are you doing now?”  
  
  
“Text updates to Mercedes and Tina. We decided it would be more efficient this way.”  
  
  
“Are you kidding me right now? What am I saying – of course you’re not kidding me. You’re insane, but at least you’re consistent.”  
  
  
“Indeed.” Kim pursed her lips and began typing quickly.  
  
  
“Oh, fine. But tell Cedes that it’s your fault if I end up pulling out all my hair,” Kurt said. Kim nodded consideringly and obeyed. “So everything’s fine. We talked; he got it. I made him pancakes this morning.”  
  
  
“You would make a terrible novelist, Kurtsie. Details are key.” Kim was still typing steadily, obviously embellishing. “What did he think of the dancing?”  
  
  
“Oh.” Kurt smiled, softening. “He loved it. He was – I don’t know – honored, or something? It was really sweet.”  
  
  
“Awwww,” Kim cooed, snapping a picture of Kurt’s no doubt goofy expression. Her phone beeped twice. “The girls think you’re adorable!”  
  
  
“I think you’re all certifiable,” Kurt replied, but he didn’t put any heat behind it. He loved that they cared, and his evening and morning with Blaine were making him feel more forgiving than usual.  
  
  
“Why thank you, darling. Now tell me the rest.”  
  
  
“He, uh,” Kurt pressed one hand to his cheek. “Asked me to be his boyfriend?”  
  
  
“Oh my god! It’s like middle school, but way hotter!” Kim hopped up, skipped over to him, and pulled him into a twirl. “I assume you said yes?”  
  
  
“I’m not an idiot, Kim.”  
  
  
“No you are not, boy with a boyfriend!”  
  
  
“Can we rehearse now?” Kurt chanced a quick glance in the mirror. “Before my face looks any more like a tomato?”  
  
  
“Sure. Just one more question. Exactly how much are you not telling me between the ‘he got it’ and the pancakes?”  
  
  
“Very little. I promise I haven’t deprived you of any sordid details.”  
  
  
“Bummer.” Kim pouted playfully and then sent one more text to Cedes and Tina. “Ok, all yours!”  
  
  
“Great,” Kurt said, sizing her up. “Now let’s see if we can get your feet to move as fast as your mouth, and you might just be able to conquer the quickstep.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
A few hours later – halfway through the broadcast – Kurt and Kim found themselves onstage with Blaine, Bitsy, Quinn, and Mark, waiting for their fates to be revealed. Santana and Maks had already made it through with little fanfare, followed by Puck and Lacey and Lauren and Mike. Joe and Brit had been sent ‘into danger,’ which meant that while they might not be one of the bottom two couples, there was a 50-50 shot that they were going home.  
  
  
Kurt hated this part of the show with a passion. Behind them, the screen played recaps of each of their performances from the night before, Tom’s voice intoning the judge’s thoughts ominously as dramatic music played. Each couple huddled together, awaiting either a bright light and good news or the dreaded red light, which signaled danger. Rationally, Kurt knew that he and Kim had to be safe, but that didn’t make him feel much better, particularly when he looked over and saw Blaine smiling grimly, both arms wrapped tight around Bitsy’s waist.  
  
  
Tom called on Quinn and Mark first, and when he let them know they were safe, Mark staggered sideways. Kurt smiled at that, knowing how seriously Mark took the show. Mark and Quinn headed offstage, holding hands, and then it was just the four of them left.  
  
  
The music intensified, and Tom lifted his microphone again.  
  
  
“Kim and Kurt, Blaine and Elizabeth, on this fifth week of competition, one of you is safe, and one of you is in danger. The couple safe and coming back to dance again next week…”  
  
  
There was a dramatic pause, and though it came at the same point every time, Kurt still held his breath.  
  
  
“…will be announced after this commercial break!”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Results Show continues, Blaine sings and Kurt dances. The night is intense for everyone.

 

 

Tom sent them to commercial while the audience groaned its frustration and Kim pinched the hell out of Kurt’s hand.  
  
  
“I hate when he does that, the sadistic bastard,” she said without dropping her show smile. Kurt was tempted to argue that it was just how the show worked, but he thought Tom probably enjoyed torturing them a little too much.  
  
  
“Three more minutes and we’ll know,” he said instead, turning his smile on Blaine and Bitsy when they walked over.  
  
  
“It’s us,” Blaine said, crowding up next to them. “I know it is.”  
  
  
“You don’t know that,” Kurt said. “Weird things happen on this show sometimes.”  
  
  
“But not this time.” Blaine went to run a hand through his hair before he remembered that it was slicked down. “It’s ok, though. It’ll be fine.”  
  
  
“It will,” Bitsy said. “You did a good job with a difficult dance. People will appreciate it.”  
  
  
“And if they don’t, they’re philistines,” Kim said loyally. She looped an arm over Bitsy’s shoulders so that the four of them were in a loose circle.  
  
  
“It may just be for the drama of it all. You know, all this ‘not necessarily in the bottom two’ stuff.” Kurt reached out surreptitiously and squeezed Blaine’s hand. “Your army of teenaged girls will come through for you.”  
  
  
“And now I’m going to have nightmares about hordes of girls breaking into my place and absconding with me tonight. Thanks for that distraction,” Blaine said, his smile brightening a bit.  
  
  
“I’ll protect you,” Kurt said, winking surreptitiously at Blaine to make him laugh.  
  
  
“Ok, you two, let’s save the cheese-fest for after the show, shall we? Precious as it is, we have to go back on national tv in about thirty seconds,” Kim said. She squeezed Bitsy one more time and then leaned across their little circle to kiss Blaine’s cheek. “No worries, ok champ? Everything will work out.”  
  
  
Kurt hugged Bitsy and Blaine, and then walked back with Kim to their pool of light. Tom quickly recapped what had happened, indicating that he’d be announcing the couple safe for the week. The pause this time felt twice as long, and Kurt could feel Kim shifting from foot to foot in anticipation.  
  
  
When Tom finally called their names, Kurt closed his eyes in relief and distress. He looked up to see Blaine and Bitsy standing in deep red shadows, resignation on their faces. It felt worse than the times he’d been the one standing there.  
  
  
Due to an unfortunate twist of fate – or evil machinations by the producers – Blaine was due to sing ten minutes later. As soon as they went back to commercial, Kurt and Blaine tore offstage to the closest backstage dressing room, where Sam and his crew were ready to get them into costume. Once they were changed, Mercedes was waiting in the doorway to fuss with their hair while the makeup people did touch-ups. They were ready with two minutes to spare, and no time to process what had just happened. Blaine was in danger of going home, and this could literally be his swan song. Before he stepped on stage to get set, Blaine turned to Kurt, his eyes wide and wet.  
  
  
“Don’t you dare, Blaine Anderson. This isn’t the last anything. This isn’t goodbye,” Kurt said fiercely. “Go out there and sing your heart out, and let me dance for you.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Blaine said, grabbing onto Kurt’s hands for a minute to steady himself. “Thank you. You are…so much.”  
  
  
“You too.” Kurt smiled at him, willing away tears. “Go sing me a song. Make it beautiful.”  
  
  
One last caress – Kurt’s hand on Blaine’s cheek – and it was time to go. Blaine went out on stage, and Kurt headed down the steps to meet Lacey at the edge of the audience. Across the ballroom, Mark and Chelsie were waiting for their cue.  
  
  
The moment Blaine started singing, with just a few voices from his band to back him up, Kurt was profoundly grateful that Mark and Chelsie were the ones dancing to the first verse. As Blaine sang, “I walked across an empty land,” Mark carried Chelsie onto the floor, letting her slide down and away from him. They transcribed circles away from one another, ending with beautiful one-footed turns, their free legs bent and lifted behind them. Then they turned back to one another, reaching out but still backing away, their turns and leaps keeping them from reconnecting. They leapt offstage, Mark following Chelsie, just in time for Kurt and Lacey to take their turn.  
  
  
Kurt and Lacey began with an intensive partnering sequence that flew across the floor, Kurt providing the base while Lacey spun and jumped. Finally, she slowed, and Kurt cradled her close before she pushed past him, a series of ponches and quick leaps punched out of her. Kurt watched her go, and then followed with his own leaps, faster and higher, punctuated by a beautifully controlled single pirouette. He sank to the floor, one hand still reaching for the sky, as Lacey did the same across from him.  
  
  
The chorus began, Blaine imploring them to “talk about it somewhere only we know,” and Kurt and Lacey began to come closer as they headed back toward the stage. Finally they met just below Blaine, their hands pressed together between them. Mark and Chelsie joined them on the floor for the next chorus as more voices made the sound swell, Blaine’s voice still soaring above them.  
  
  
The two couples moved across the floor, ebbing and flowing with the music. Mark and Kurt twirled their partners away from themselves, catching the other girl as she came toward them. Chelsie was a tiny little thing, and Kurt had no trouble lifting her high overhead, her arms and upper torso arching back. He spun twice as he brought her to the ground, sending her off to Mark. Lacey came back to him, but they dodged one another, growing farther and farther apart as the music began to slow.  
  
  
Kurt looked up, past Lacey, and the world, the show, came crashing back into his awareness. Blaine was staring straight at him as he sang the final line, and in his voice Kurt heard both anxiety and hope. The music ended, and with it the dance; the audience was standing and cheering before Kurt could catch his breath.  
  
  
Kurt ducked away as quickly as he could, retreating backstage while Tom walked over to Blaine to chat before going to commercial. It always took Kurt a few minutes to come back to himself after performances like that, and this one was worse than most. He was still standing in the wings when Blaine reappeared, and they stared at each other for a minute before Blaine walked into Kurt’s arms.  
  
  
They clung to one another, and Kurt was sure that the raw, anxious feeling in his chest was mirrored in Blaine’s.  
  
  
“I have to go back on stage,” Blaine said eventually. “To see what happens next.”  
  
  
“I know.” Kurt held him tighter for a moment before letting him go. “I want to say that everything will be fine, but I don’t know that for sure. I believe it, though.”  
  
  
“I’m not sure how this got to matter so much, but god, it does.”  
  
  
“It has a way of doing that,” Kurt agreed, though he wasn’t entirely certain that they were speaking only of the show. “Go. They’re calling for you. I’m going to find Kim. We’ll be crossing all available fingers.”  
  
  
“Ok.” Blaine smiled a little, in a tight, teary way that made Kurt want to hold him until all the bad things went away. “See you on the other side.”  
  
  
“Absolutely.”  
  
  
Kurt made himself walk away, winding his way back up to the Celebraquarium, where Kim was waiting. He stood on the balcony between her and Lacey, both women holding his hands as Tom began the final elimination of the night.  
  
  
As much as he loved Brit, he knew she’d be fine if she and Joe were the ones to go tonight. Blaine, on the other hand, had so much that he wanted to prove, so much talent left to explore. It couldn’t be his time to go yet.  
  
  
Tom and the judges were talking, dragging things out, but Kurt couldn’t seem to make sense of their words. He watched Blaine, practically breathing with him as the final minutes of the show counted down. Blaine wasn’t ready to go, and Kurt wasn’t ready to let him. Not now, not yet, he thought to himself. Let me keep him here a little while longer.  
  
  
The tight squeeze to his right hand was Kurt’s first indication that something had happened. He turned to look at Kim, who was grinning fit to burst.  
  
  
“They’re safe, Kurt. Blaine’s safe,” she said. He looked back at Blaine, who was sagging with relief against Bitsy’s shoulder. Kurt couldn’t blame him.  
  
  
All the couples made their way down to the floor to say goodbye to Joe and Brit as the show finally ended. Kim dragged Kurt around the circle until they were right behind Blaine and Bitsy, and she pulled all of them into a hug.  
  
  
“Well thank god that all worked out,” Kim announced as she stepped back, and Bitsy giggled. “I mean, Brit and Joe are lovely people, but no way they deserved to stay over you two.”  
  
  
“Thanks, Kim.” Blaine was smiling again, his real smile. Kurt shuffled closer to him, bumping their shoulders together and grinning at him. They both stepped away from the crowd so they could continue their conversation.  
  
  
“Are you up for another week of this?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Absolutely. Elizabeth says I get to learn the party dance.”  
  
  
“Samba? I think you’ll be good at that.”  
  
  
“I hope so,” Blaine said, and Kurt could tell that the evening’s anxiety was still weighing on him.  
  
  
“Hey, you’re good. You know that, right? Everyone has a rough week during the season. It’s almost inevitable. And you survived yours, so it’s ok.” Kurt squeezed Blaine’s shoulder, not wanting to be more demonstrative while they were in the middle of the crowded ballroom.  
  
  
“Yeah, ok. I’m fine, really. Tonight was just…a lot.” Blaine rubbed one hand across his face. “Listen, I know Artie’s hosting an after-party tonight at some Italian place, but I don’t think I’m up for it.”  
  
  
“Of course not,” Kurt said sympathetically, trying not to sound disappointed. “There’s always next week.”  
  
  
“No, that’s not,” Blaine began, stumbling over his words. “Can we go somewhere, just the two of us? I don’t want a crowd, but I don’t think I’m ready to be away from you.”  
  
  
“Me either,” Kurt murmured, relieved. “We have to get through press first, though. Meet you after?”  
  
  
Blaine nodded, already backing away to go find Bitsy. Kurt turned around to hunt Kim down and found her deep in conversation with Cedes, who’d come looking for him.  
  
  
“I saw that,” Cedes said, smiling at him. “You’re ditching me for a boy tonight, aren’t you?”  
  
  
“Please?”  
  
  
“Of course, K. You know I’m just teasing. Besides, Kim needs a party buddy now that you’ve abandoned both of us.”  
  
  
“You know I love you both,” Kurt began, but Cedes cut him off.  
  
  
“Which is why we’re insisting that you go and have some quality time with your boyfriend. But just in case you think I’ve gone soft, I’m insisting on lunch tomorrow to make up for it. No boys except you.”  
  
  
“Yes ma’am,” Kurt said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.  
  
  
“Well, now that that’s settled, can we get this over with?” Kim indicated the ballroom, which was quickly filling with journalists and film crews, with a wave of her hand.  
  
  
“Absolutely,” Kurt said, and offered her his arm with a flourish.  
  
  
***  
  
  
By the time the press line had wrapped up and they’d both showered and changed, two hours had passed. The lot was slowly emptying out as they stood near their cars, trying to decide what to do. They didn’t want to be in public, but they were both starving and didn’t want to cook.  
  
  
They finally settled on a walk on the beach, somewhere Blaine knew of a great food truck and it wasn’t likely to be crowded after dark. Kurt drove, holding Blaine’s hand in his lap while Blaine sang quietly along to the radio. It had been a hell of a day, and the peace between them was a needed balm.  
  
  
Blaine ordered them falafel sandwiches from an old man with a beard on a street corner one block up from the beach. They walked slowly down the sidewalk and onto the sand, sauce dripping down their wrists as they bit into their pitas.  
  
  
“You know,” Kurt said as they wandered, “one of my favorite things about living out here is all the interesting food. I could never have found this kind of thing at home. Every time my dad visits, I make him try something new.”  
  
  
“How does that go?” Blaine asked. He was licking his fingers, which should have seemed uncouth but was somehow endearing instead.  
  
  
“He’s a good sport, most of the time. I think mostly he’s just grateful that the cooking lessons stopped when I left home.”  
  
  
“You were teaching him, I presume?”  
  
  
“Oh, of course. He was your typical Midwesterner, living for fried foods and starches, before his cardiologist and I got hold of him.”  
  
  
“And now that you’re not there?”  
  
  
“Carole and I are in cahoots. And Dad and I had a very serious talk when I was home a few months ago. He knows I only give him a hard time because I want him healthy for as long as possible.”  
  
  
“It sounds like you have an amazing relationship with both of them,” Blaine said wistfully.  
  
  
“I do. I’m lucky that way, I know.”  
  
  
They were quiet for a few minutes, finishing their sandwiches and then rinsing their hands in the ocean. The water was cool, and the air was cooling down as well. Kurt was grateful for the blanket he’d grabbed out of the car, which he wrapped around both of them when they sat down on a low wall a few hundred yards up the beach.  
  
  
“You don’t talk about your family much,” Kurt remarked, resting his cheek on Blaine’s hair and looking out at the waves.  
  
  
“There’s not much to talk about, really. I’m not close to my parents, and my brother’s so much older that we’ve only really connected over the last few years.”  
  
  
“That’s good, though. That you guys are trying.”  
  
  
“Yeah. And I have Annie, and the guys in the band. They’re insane enough to serve as family most of the time.”  
  
  
“Right. Like I have Finn and Cedes here, and even Kim now, I guess,” Kurt said, and Blaine laughed.  
  
  
“I think you’re stuck with Kim, actually. She seems to have adopted you.”  
  
  
“I don’t honestly mind. She’s great. Grant’s a sweetheart too, and those kids…”  
  
  
“Adorable,” Blaine agreed. “Do we get to spoil them rotten on Friday?”  
  
  
“Like there was ever any other plan.” Kurt turned his head to grin at Blaine. When Blaine grinned back, Kurt leaned over to kiss him, chaste and sweet.  
  
  
“I’m getting cold,” Kurt said when they pulled back.  
  
  
“Time to head home?” Blaine stood and offered Kurt his hand.  
  
  
“Yeah,” Kurt said, letting Blaine pull him up. “Are you coming with me?”  
  
  
“I’d like that,” Blaine said.  
  
  
Together, they walked back up the beach, ready to put a long and difficult day behind them.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midway through the next week, the remaining cast members gather to talk before rehearsal. Kim gives Kurt an important deadline.

 

 

“So explain to me again why I’m carrying a giant platter of scones?” Kim asked as they walked into the rehearsal building on Friday morning. Kurt had found her in the parking lot on the way to cha cha dance-off rehearsal and had enlisted her to help him carry things.  
  
  
“It’s tradition. The six pros who make it to dance-off week always bring breakfast for everyone, so we can all sit around and talk about our feelings now that we’re one big, happy family,” Kurt replied, frowning. He would have used air quotes if his hands hadn’t been full.  
  
  
“Did you wake up on the grumpy side of the bed?” Kim asked, turning to study him. “You were all giddy and ridiculous earlier in the week, but you’ve been getting surlier and surlier. We rehearsed for almost 14 hours yesterday, and you spent an entire hour correcting my finger placement.”  
  
  
Kurt shifted uncomfortably, knowing that Kim was right. She stared at him a little longer, her expression turning thoughtful.  
  
  
“Either you’ve had a personality transplant, or…wait…are you sexually frustrated? How is that even possible?”  
  
  
“Maybe because I’m not having sex?” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“Oh, boy. This should be a good story.” Kim deposited her platter on a table in the hallway and motioned for Kurt to do the same. Clearly, she wasn’t letting him have breakfast until he’d explained. “Last I checked, you had a really hot boyfriend who couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself.”  
  
  
“Um, well, yes.” Kurt fidgeted. He knew this was going to sound stupid when he said it out loud. “But things have been so busy and rehearsals make us both exhausted and we’ve kind of silently agreed to wait for an opportune moment but it hasn’t really appeared yet.”  
  
  
“You two are idiots.”  
  
  
“That’s probably true too.” Kurt ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Kim imploringly.  
  
  
“Ok, so, solutions.” Kim propped her hands on her hips and looked him over. “Because you have to get laid before we perform.”  
  
  
“Seriously? This is your concern?”  
  
  
“I thought you’d be impressed by my focus and dedication,” Kim said, grinning. Kurt rolled his eyes.  
  
  
“Mmhm. That’s what this is about, I’m sure. Because you definitely don’t want details.”  
  
  
“Now don’t go putting words in my mouth,” Kim said. She winked at him. “But seriously, I will take one for the team so you can have some time off and manage a sexy Saturday. Especially since you’re making it possible for me to have an actual night out tonight. I owe you. Just don’t have sex on my couch.”  
  
  
“Oh my god, Kim!” Kurt covered his face with both hands. “I am just…I am not…your children will be home!”  
  
  
“Uh huh, and don’t think that’s ever stopped us.”  
  
  
“Ok, ew. Stop. Just stop. I promise not to defile your couch if you’ll promise to stop traumatizing me with mental images.”  
  
  
“Deal.” Kim reached over to grab his wrists so she could see his face. “So we’ll rehearse today and tomorrow morning, and then you’ll take a much-needed break?”  
  
  
“Ok.”  
  
  
“Excellent. I’ll expect a full report!” Kim smirked at him. He was about to reply when he heard movement behind him.  
  
  
“A full report of what?” Blaine asked, coming up next to Kurt and sliding one arm around his waist. Kurt tried not to look like he’d been discussing their lack of sex life with his partner.  
  
  
“Of how insane my children are tonight,” Kim said smoothly. “I’m hoping you’ll both still be my friends tomorrow.”  
  
  
“I’m sure they’ll be great,” Blaine replied, his fingers moving lightly against Kurt’s hip. Kurt had to will himself not to think about anything untoward. They were in public, and Kim would enjoy it way too much.  
  
  
“I guess we should get to rehearsal, or breakfast, or whatever this is,” Kim said, reaching around to pick up her tray of scones. “C’mon, Kurt. Time’s a’wasting!”  
  
  
Blaine looked curiously at him, but Kurt only rolled his eyes and hefted his own tray. Then he stopped, turned around, and waited for Blaine to catch up so he could get a good morning kiss.  
  
  
When he walked into the rehearsal studio a minute later, Kurt was smiling.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Twenty minutes later, all six couples had arrived, along with their designated breakfast foods. Lacey passed out coffee before sitting down next to Puck, who was deep in conversation with Lauren and Mike. Bitsy had recruited Maks, under severe protest, to help with plating the food, while Santana and Kim surreptitiously poured champagne into everyone’s juice. Quinn and Mark were working on their mambo steps while they waited for their breakfasts, which left Blaine and Kurt to their own devices.  
  
  
Kurt was propped up against the mirror, legs splayed, while Blaine sat in front of him, his head tilted back to rest on one of Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt’s arms were wrapped around Blaine’s middle, holding him close, and Blaine was idly toying with the hem of Kurt’s shirt sleeve while he rambled about the late samba rehearsal he’d had with Bitsy the night before.  
  
  
“It’s definitely fun,” Blaine said, “but the weird bounce thing is weird. I feel like a dork when I do it.”  
  
  
“You are a dork,” Kurt said affectionately. “What you showed me at lunch yesterday looks good, though. Give it another day to settle, and you’ll be fine.”  
  
  
“You think?” Blaine blinked up at Kurt.  
  
  
“I do. You’re good at this, Blaine.”  
  
  
“Thanks.” Blaine sat up to kiss Kurt’s cheek, and then cuddled closer.  
  
  
“So speaking of rehearsal,” Kurt began, “what’s your schedule tomorrow? Kim wants to take a break tomorrow afternoon, so I thought maybe we could do something together. Maybe go to the open air market and then make dinner?”  
  
  
“Like a proper date? Whoever heard of such a thing?” Blaine teased, bringing his hands up to tangle his fingers with Kurt’s at his waist.  
  
  
“I know, it’s a novel idea, but I’ve heard that people who are dating occasionally do things like that,” Kurt replied, rolling his eyes and grinning.  
  
  
“Then I suppose we have to try it.” Blaine said. Then, more quietly, he added, “That sounds really nice. I’d like that.”  
  
  
“Me too.” Kurt rested his head against Blaine’s, smiling softly. A minute later, he heard heels approaching and looked up to see Santana standing in front of them, hands on her hips. “Yes?”  
  
  
“If you’re done being nauseating, can we get this train wreck over with?” she asked, gesturing around the room with a half-empty bottle of champagne. Maks walked up behind her and wrapped an arm around her neck.  
  
  
“Stop being a bitch just because your little blonde isn’t here, Tana. You’ll see her in a couple of hours,” Maks said, smirking when she turned her glare on him. Kurt thought idly that they really were ideal partners for one another.  
  
  
Maks raised his voice to get everyone’s attention, and then made everyone sit in a circle so he and Bitsy could hand out breakfast. Once they were all settled and eating, he waved one hand in the air for attention.  
  
  
“Ok, so, as the elder statesman of this motley crew, it falls to me to explain what the hell we’re up to. In about half an hour, the camera people are going to get here, and Hummel and Marky Mark are going to start arguing about cha cha choreography and couple placement. Before we get to that fun experience, though, we get to eat and drink and talk. Because trust me when I say that, though you’ve made it more than halfway, the show only gets crazier from here.”  
  
  
“Yep,” Lacey said from her spot across the circle. “And the twelve of us are the only ones who get just how insane it is. So think of this as a chance to spill your guts without judgment. We know what you’re going through, and we can commiserate.”  
  
  
“Well,” Puck spoke up from next to Lacey. “This is insane. That’s for sure. But really, it’s cool. I didn’t know what awesome dudes you would all turn out to be.”  
  
  
“I agree with Puck, or what I think he’s trying to say,” Quinn said. “I thought this would be a fun and interesting thing to do, but I didn’t realize I’d get to make all these great friends. It’s hard, of course, but it’s a great experience.”  
  
  
Around the circle, other people were nodding their heads.  
  
  
“I mean, I know I have a lot of reasons to like being here,” Blaine said, grinning and touching the back of Kurt’s hand. A ripple of laughter traveled around the circle as he shrugged. “But besides the obvious, being a part of this show is really changing my life. I didn’t know I could push myself like this, or that I could care so much about something that doesn’t come as naturally as singing does.”  
  
  
“It sucks you in,” Santana said. “I came on the show because my publicist insisted, but I don’t actually hate it.”  
  
  
“Bold words of happiness from my partner,” Maks quipped, earning himself a poke in the side. “I know what you’re saying though. By this point, if you’re still here fighting through two dances a week, you’ve caught the bug, and now you want to win.”  
  
  
“And how!” Kim said. “I’m a bit of a competitor naturally, but this just makes me want to leave you all in my glittery, sequined, high-heeled dust. And I’m not even exaggerating. I will crush you all if I have to.”  
  
  
“Oh, bring it, lady,” Santana said, and the two women grinned at one another.  
  
  
“So anyway,” Mark said, trying to bring things back under control. “Remember that we’re here for you over the next few weeks, when things get too crazy. Work hard, but take breaks and have some fun too. After rehearsal, of course.”  
  
  
Kurt took that as his cue to get up and start clearing plates away so they could get ready to work through the dance off. He and Mark, the designated choreographers for each team, had met the night before to listen to the music and sort out the basics of timing and positioning. Today, they’d be walking the group through the whole thing, teaching the group portions, and assigning solo spots so that couples could work on their parts individually later that afternoon.  
  
  
The six couples still in the competition had been split into two roughly equal groups by their ability. Blaine and Bitsy were dancing with Quinn and Mark and Lauren and Mike, which meant that Kim and Kurt ended up with Puck and Lacey and Santana and Maks. The other pros had been perfectly happy to let Mark and Kurt deal with the group choreography, and were on duty to dance in the next results show instead.  
  
  
Kurt and Mark gathered the other pros for a quick run-through of the staging and then taught them the group choreography, which would come at the end of the dance. They were dancing to We Found Love, a great, upbeat cha cha number that gave them room for a lot of flourishes. The judges had even said they could do small lifts, so the couples were all excited to try some new moves.  
  
  
When they’d gotten the basics, the teams broke into two groups to talk through the progression from one couple to the next. Mark’s group would take the first third of the song for their solo spots. Quinn and Mark were leading off, followed by Lauren and Mike. Blaine and Bitsy would go last and then be joined by the other two couples for the long transition between verses.  
  
  
Kurt’s group decided to let Santana and Maks lead off and put Puck and Lacey in the middle. Kim and Kurt would go last, before their team’s group section. Kim gave Kurt a thumbs up, obviously realizing that going last was the best place to be competitively.  
  
  
After another fifteen minutes of sorting out entrances and exits, everyone took a few minutes to talk through the ideas they had for their solo sections with their partners. Kurt pulled Kim to the far side of the room, suddenly sure about what they were going to do.  
  
  
“I have two words for you, partner of mine,” he said. “Triple turns.”  
  
  
“Triple? Oh, god. That sounds dangerous,” Kim said, concerned.  
  
  
“Nah. You’re great at spotting and your balance is way above average. No one else can pull off a series of turns, and it’ll set you apart.” Now was the time to make their mark; Kurt was sure of it.  
  
  
“Well, if I throw up on your shoes, you’re cleaning it up,” Kim said, and Kurt knew he’d won.  
  
  
“Don’t worry – we have all afternoon to work on it, and then two days after that.”  
  
  
“Oh, yes, because two days of rehearsal will make me an expert.”  
  
  
“On this show it will!” Kurt smiled at Kim, who eventually smiled back.  
  
  
“Why do I let you talk me into these things, Kurtsie?”  
  
  
“Because you adore me and I’m babysitting your children and I let you call me revolting things like ‘Kurtsie.’”  
  
  
“Oh. Right.” Kim grinned sheepishly at him. “I guess you’re alright.”  
  
  
“And you’re going to be awesome. Trust me.”  
  
  
“You haven’t steered me wrong so far.”  
  
  
“Exactly,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
If his luck held, that would continue to be true. Only four performance shows stood between them and victory. All their hard work was paying off – if they could just keep up their pace for another month, the trophy could be theirs.  
  
  



	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Parents' Night Out at Kim's house - Kurt and Blaine babysit for Molly and Jake.

 

 

Blaine picked Kurt up for the drive over to Kim’s house late that afternoon. Kurt went to drop his bag in the backseat, only to be stymied by the pile of stuff already there.  
  
  
“Were you somehow under the impression that those kids don’t have any toys?” he asked Blaine when he sat down, leaning over the console to give Blaine a kiss.  
  
  
“Well, I knew I wanted to bring my guitar, for a sing-a-long, you know.”  
  
  
“Of course.” Kurt smiled and took Blaine’s free hand as they pulled out into traffic.  
  
  
“Then I went looking for a tambourine and maybe a triangle or something, so they could play along, and I found the box of toys I keep for my niece and nephew.”  
  
  
“And you brought the whole thing?”  
  
  
“Well, not entirely,” Blaine said, glancing over at Kurt sheepishly.  
  
  
“You’re going to have an entire room dedicated to toys when you finally get a house of your own, aren’t you?”  
  
  
“Maybe? I could use it for my instruments too.”  
  
  
“Have you gotten any further on that? House hunting, I mean,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“No, not yet. When have I had the time?”  
  
  
“True. But if you’re not in a rush, you can always wait until the show is over, so you can look properly.”  
  
  
“Probably a good idea. And then you can help me! You will help, right?” Blaine looked over at him, his expression a mixture of excitement and nerves.  
  
  
“I’d love to,” Kurt replied, his chest tight with the implication that Blaine wanted him in the midst of his plans even after the show ended.  
  
  
“Great. That’s actually a relief, because I was trying to figure out how to fit yet another thing in over the next couple of weeks, and it wasn’t working. I mean, that’s assuming I’ll still be on the show longer than this week.”  
  
  
“You will. I don’t think you have to worry about that.” Kurt had seen a little bit of Lauren and Puck’s rehearsals with Mike and Lacey, and things were looking a little bizarre, to say the least. Blaine was going to be fine.  
  
  
“I hope you’re right. I had to put off the record company execs too. For some reason they were expecting me to get into the studio while I’m doing this, which is kind of insane. I’m not even done writing anything yet,” Blaine continued as he pulled off the highway and headed up toward Kim’s place.  
  
  
“But you are writing?”  
  
  
“Yeah…” Blaine trailed off, and Kurt could have sworn he was blushing. “Just a little bit, when I get some time, but it’s coming along.”  
  
  
Kurt was dying to ask for details about the songs Blaine was working on, but he had to start giving Blaine directions to the house. The turns got complicated as they got closer. Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the main door, which was already open. As Kurt helped Blaine gather all his stuff up to bring inside, he could hear Kim’s voice shouting from somewhere in the house.  
  
  
“Molly and Jake, if you don’t get down here right this minute, I’m going to call Mrs. Schofield to come watch you instead of letting you stay with Kurt and Blaine!”  
  
  
“Uh oh,” Kurt said, grinning at Blaine. “They’re getting threatened already.”  
  
  
“Good thing we’re here to rescue them from themselves, then,” Blaine said.  
  
  
They walked in, dumping their stuff in the living room, before wandering back to the kitchen, where Kim was writing notes down on a pad of paper while trying simultaneously to put on mascara.  
  
  
“Give me that,” Kurt said, taking the pen from her. “You’re going to put an eye out otherwise, and then what will I do for a partner?”  
  
  
“Oh, hi you two.” Kim paused so that they could both kiss her cheek. “It’s a little crazy around here at the moment, as you may have noticed. Sure you’re up for this?”  
  
  
“Absolutely,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Of course,” Kurt added. “Blaine brought a roomful of toys and instruments, and I brought my culinary prowess. We’re ready.”  
  
  
“You’re angels, is what you are,” Kim said, finally finishing her mascara. “I left instructions written down here, you have both our cell numbers and the number of the restaurant…”  
  
  
“Yes, Mom,” Kurt said, squeezing her shoulder. “We’ve got it. Don’t worry.”  
  
  
“I know, I know. I really appreciate it, though. We’ll be home about midnight, if that’s ok with you two?”  
  
  
“Sure,” Blaine said, and Kurt nodded.  
  
  
“They should be in bed no later than eight, even though it’s a weekend. They have a birthday party tomorrow morning, and I don’t want them to be zombies.”  
  
  
“Bed at eight. Got it. Do they need baths?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Only if they’re sticky. Mol can show you where everything is in the bathroom. I already put their pajamas out on their beds,” Kim said, turning toward the doorway. “And speak of the devils, here they are now.”  
  
  
Molly and Jake came in, Molly immediately wrapping herself around Blaine while Jake did the same to Kurt. Grant followed them in a few seconds later, looking crisp and smart in a slate gray suit.  
  
  
“Ready, honey? We should get going if we’re going to make our reservation,” he said.  
  
  
Both parents made the rounds, kissing the kids goodbye and thanking Kurt and Blaine again for watching them. They all went to the front door to see Kim and Grant off, and then Blaine looked down at Molly and grinned.  
  
  
“Ok, so who’s ready to play some Twister?” he said, and both kids whooped and thundered upstairs to the playroom. Blaine looked over at Kurt. “Here goes nothing, I guess.”  
  
  
Kurt just smiled and took his hand as they followed the kids up the stairs.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Two and a half hours later, Kurt walked into the bathroom with the kids’ pajamas to find Blaine teaching Molly and Jake to sing The Grand Old Duke of York, all three of them sporting soap bubble beards. Kurt laughed, joining in as the Duke marched his men back down the hill again. While they sang, he leaned over to scrub the tomato sauce out of Jake’s hair. They’d made pizza from scratch for their dinner, and both kids had managed to get sauce everywhere. Clearly, a bath had been inevitable.  
  
  
Once they were both clean and in their pajamas, Molly and Jake led the way to the living room, where Molly tried to coax her brother into showing Kurt and Blaine what they’d been learning in dance school. Jake wasn’t having any of it. He stood in the middle of the floor, frowning with his lower lip pushed out. Kurt thought he looked exactly like his mother when she didn’t like a new step he showed her.  
  
  
“Nuh uh,” Jake said, pulling away from his sister, who was trying to drag his arms into proper dance position. “I don’t wanna dance with you. I wanna dance with Kurt like Mommy.”  
  
  
Blaine made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle, and Kurt shot him a look. Blaine slapped a hand over his mouth and turned back to watch the drama unfold.  
  
  
“But Kurt’s a boy, so he dances the boy part like you,” Molly was explaining patiently, while her brother glared back at her.  
  
  
“So? I know your part too. I can dance with Kurt. I wanna!”  
  
  
“But then who will be my partner?” Molly said, her tone edging toward whiny.  
  
  
“I’ll dance with you, sweetheart,” Blaine said, sweeping her up so she would giggle. “That way Jakesters can dance with Kurt, just like Mommy.”  
  
  
“C’mere, kiddo,” Kurt said, bending down and opening his arms for Jake. “Let’s dance.”  
  
  
“’Kay.” Jake went suddenly bashful, hiding his face against Kurt’s chest once Kurt picked him up.  
  
  
“What have you been learning at Ms. Tina and Mr. Mike’s school? Did they show you a waltz turn?” Kurt asked. Jake nodded, so Kurt started moving in circles, carefully avoiding Blaine and Molly, who were moving around in their own pattern.  
  
  
The two pairs waltzed around the living room for a while, sometimes coming together so Kurt could spin Blaine and Molly while both kids giggled. Kurt asked if Jake wanted to get down and dance with his sister or Blaine, but Jake shook his head and held on tighter. It was adorable but exhausting after a while.  
  
  
The kids started getting sleepy as bedtime approached, so Kurt and Blaine waltzed them upstairs to brush their teeth, and then tucked them into bed. Jake fell asleep quickly, but Kurt could tell from the murmur of voices coming from Molly’s room that she was still awake. He pulled Jake’s door mostly closed and walked across the hall to Molly’s room. He leaned against the doorjamb, watching as Blaine closed the book he had been reading from and leaned down to kiss Molly’s hair.  
  
  
“One song? Please?” Molly’s eyes were starting to close, but she obviously wasn’t ready to give up the fight quite yet.  
  
  
“Sure,” Blaine said, smoothing down her hair as he began a slow, soothing version of My Favorite Things.  
  
  
Blaine looked up, smiling, when Kurt joined him for the chorus, and held out a hand for Kurt to join him by the bed. By the second verse, Molly’s eyes were fully closed, and Blaine stood up gingerly, not wanting to wake her. They finished out the song as softly as they could before tiptoeing out of the room.  
  
  
They didn’t say a word until they’d gotten all the way downstairs and into the living room. Kurt steered them toward the smaller love seat, still not over his mental images of what might have happened on Kim’s sofa. He sat down and Blaine followed, curling into him with a sigh.  
  
  
“They’re cute, but they’re exhausting,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Yeah. I thought I’d never be able to put Jake down.” Kurt stretched out as much as he could, bringing Blaine down with him.  
  
  
“That’s because someone has a crush,” Blaine said, poking at Kurt’s side playfully.  
  
  
“You think? I just figured he was being impossible because he’s fifty percent Kim.”  
  
  
“Oh, no. It’s a crush. He goes all googly-eyed and shy around you. Trust me, I should know.”  
  
  
“Did you go all googly-eyed and shy around me?” Kurt asked, smiling at the thought. Blaine had always seemed so together when they first met.  
  
  
“Well, let me put it this way – Elizabeth had to deal with way more idiotic fumbling and missteps in rehearsals right after I went to meals with you. She finally gave up and made me talk it out of my system before we would start dancing. That helped.”  
  
  
“Seriously?” Kurt asked, and Blaine nodded into his chest. “That’s adorable. Almost as adorable as Jake’s little crush.”  
  
  
“You’re a very popular man, Kurt Hummel,” Blaine said, sitting up a little so he could look at Kurt.  
  
  
“Jealous?” Kurt teased. He reached one hand up to guide Blaine down for a kiss.  
  
  
“Not really,” Blaine said when he pulled back slightly. “After all, I have you right where I want you.”  
  
  
“Oh do you now?” Kurt asked, already anticipating Blaine’s lips back on his.  
  
  
Blaine hummed his agreement as he leaned in, settling more fully against Kurt. They kissed leisurely, hands mapping the contours of jaws and shoulders and backs. When things began to get a little too hot and heavy, Kurt pulled back, explaining to Blaine that he’d promised Kim they’d behave while in her house.  
  
  
“It’s just a little kissing,” Blaine said, smiling wickedly as his hands found their way under Kurt’s shirt. “Can’t you handle a little kissing?”  
  
  
“You’re incorrigible,” Kurt said, smiling lazily up at him. “But I suppose a few more kisses wouldn’t hurt.”  
  
  
Blaine seemed to take Kurt’s words as a personal challenge, applying his hands and lips to the task of turning Kurt inside out with desire. At first, he kissed Kurt long and deep, the liquid pull of tongue and teeth coupled with gentle caresses making Kurt’s head swim. Kurt broke away to moan softly, his whole body responding, and Blaine slid down to fit himself more closely to Kurt, like a key turning in a lock. His mouth trailed down Kurt’s neck, sucking and then biting gently, just enough to make Kurt feel it everywhere.  
  
  
Kurt hooked an ankle around Blaine’s, giving into the desire to let Blaine take him under, where the only currency was sensation. How long they stayed there, moving slowly together, savoring every touch and slide of lips on skin, Kurt couldn’t have said. All he knew was that he was riding the line between relaxed and aroused for so long that he could no longer tell one from the other. All that existed was the two of them, touching and holding, cherishing and being cherished.  
  
  
Eventually, Blaine eased them back toward reality, putting some modicum of space between them and slowing his kisses. Kurt blinked, his eyelids heavy, and smiled up at Blaine.  
  
  
“I’d call you a tease, but I don’t think that covers it,” he said, letting one hand slide into Blaine’s hair.  
  
  
“No?” Blaine turned his head slowly, brushing their lips together.  
  
  
“No,” Kurt said, shifting so that Blaine could fit between him and the back of the loveseat, Kurt’s arms still tucked around him, holding him close. “I kind of want to thank you, actually. I feel strangely awesome.”  
  
  
“Excellent.” Blaine chuckled, resting his cheek against Kurt’s shoulder and drawing idle patterns across Kurt’s chest with his fingers.  
  
  
“We don’t have to move, do we?” Kurt’s eyes were already closing.  
  
  
“No, they won’t be back for hours yet.” Blaine pulled a blanket off the back of the loveseat to cover them. It wasn’t the most comfortable place for them to fall asleep, but neither of them seemed interested in moving.  
  
  
“Night, Blaine,” Kurt mumbled, tilting his head so that his lips brushed across Blaine’s forehead. The last thing he heard before he drifted off to sleep was Blaine’s voice, low and quiet, telling him, “Night, sweetheart.”  
  
  
When Kim woke them up to send them home several hours later, all Kurt could remember was that he’d had the most wonderful dreams.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night is the perfect end to a long week.

 

 

At rehearsal Saturday morning, Kim and Kurt were paragons of productivity. Kurt was feeling energized because of the massive amount of sleep he’d ended up getting the night before, and Kim was still riding the high of the parents’ night out she’d gotten to enjoy.  
  
  
Their quickstep, set to Get Happy, fit their moods perfectly, and it didn’t take them long to give it the polish they’d been trying to find during their last solo rehearsal on Thursday afternoon. They worked through the group and individual choreography for the cha cha dance-off as well, Kim settling into all the turns like a pro. By the time they broke for a late lunch, Kurt wasn’t feeling at all guilty about taking the afternoon off. Clearly, breaks did them a world of good.  
  
  
Instead of getting lunch with some of the cast, Kurt headed home to get things ready for date night. He cleaned and tidied, laughing when he caught himself humming a song off of Blaine’s last album. He had it bad, but at the moment, that didn’t worry him in the least. He texted Blaine, telling him to show up in an hour with his overnight bag, and then, still humming, Kurt got into the shower.  
  
  
Kurt opened the front door for Blaine exactly an hour later, earning himself a low whistle for his trouble. He stepped back to let Blaine in and couldn’t resist doing a little twirl to show off his outfit.  
  
  
“You look delicious,” Blaine said, closing the door behind himself and reaching out so he could bring Kurt close for a kiss. “Are you sure there has to be an in-public part of this date?”  
  
  
“It’s not much of a date if we don’t leave my apartment,” Kurt said, although he silently agreed with Blaine’s sentiment. Blaine was wearing a snug-fitting deep red cardigan that made Kurt want to hold him and not let go.  
  
  
“I suppose you’re right,” Blaine said. “But one more kiss before we go.”  
  
  
One more kiss turned into five or ten, but eventually they made it out the door and into Kurt’s car. As they drove, Blaine held Kurt’s hand and told him about the morning’s samba rehearsal. Apparently, some time in the last twenty-four hours, Blaine had found the ‘party’ in the party dance, and their rehearsal had been almost as good as Kurt and Kim’s.  
  
  
At the farmer’s market, they stuck close together, but not too close, both mindful of how very public the space was. Kurt knew that eventually they’d have to talk about how much and who to tell about their relationship, but he wasn’t ready to interrupt a day that was going so well for both of them.  
  
  
While Kurt was picking out strawberries for dessert, a few teenage girls came up to Blaine, giggling shyly and asking for his autograph. Blaine obliged graciously, asking their names and posing for pictures while they fluttered around him. Kurt watched the whole exchange from a few feet away, and he was almost as charmed as the girls were by how sweet Blaine was with them. When they had gone, he collected his purchases and walked over to Blaine, bumping their shoulders together.  
  
  
“Part of your fan club?” Kurt asked as they began walking again.  
  
  
“Hm? I guess so,” Blaine shrugged, his hands pushing into his pockets. “They were nice.”  
  
  
“But they didn’t exactly want to discuss the finer points of songwriting?” Kurt guessed.  
  
  
“Pretty much. I miss that about the days when we played tiny clubs. It was hard work, but someone was always around to buy us a beer and talk about chord progressions after the show.”  
  
  
“You mean squealing and being told you’re dreamy isn’t the same?” Kurt grinned when Blaine scoffed. “Which, for the record, you totally are, but it has to get old after a while. Kind of the way people only want to talk about the celebrities I’ve danced with rather than the finer points of dance technique. I’d kill for even a single interviewer to ask me about my choreography…”  
  
  
“See? You get it,” Blaine said. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”  
  
  
“Not just because I’m dreamy?”  
  
  
“Well, that is a point in your favor,” Blaine said. He turned away to look over some vegetables, but Kurt still caught his grin.  
  
  
“As it should be,” Kurt replied. He picked up two artichokes and brandished them in Blaine’s direction. “I think these will do. Can we forgo the fangirls and go make dinner now?”  
  
  
“Yes, please,” Blaine said. The smile he sent Kurt’s way was as intimate as any caress. “I’d like that.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
Back at Kurt’s apartment, Kurt got the artichokes and fish started while Blaine set the table and fiddled with the stereo. He came dancing back into the kitchen a few minutes later, chased by the strains of what sounded suspiciously like Katy Perry, and did a goofy twirl before reaching for the strawberries and a knife. Kurt leaned against the counter opposite him and watched until Blaine noticed and looked up.  
  
  
“What?” Blaine pushed a curl off his forehead with the back of one hand, one toe still tapping to the beat.  
  
  
“Nothing, really,” Kurt replied. “You’re just not quite what I expected sometimes.”  
  
  
“In a good way?” Blaine glanced sideways at him, managing to look up through his lashes, a look that made warmth flare in Kurt’s stomach every time.  
  
  
“In a very good way.” Kurt took the two steps that put him right in front of Blaine and eased the knife out of Blaine’s fingers before wrapping both arms around his waist. “For some reason, I expected you to take yourself very seriously and only date tiny blonde girls without brains or talent.”  
  
  
“Well, I’m not your typical pop star. I demand both brains and talent.” Blaine’s arms wound around Kurt’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss.  
  
  
“Mmmm. I will happily claim that I offer both.”  
  
  
“And in such a nice package, too,” Blaine commented, running one hand down Kurt’s chest to curl around his hip. They grinned at one another.  
  
  
“Well,” Kurt finally said, once his cheeks began to hurt from all the smiling. “As nice as compliments are, they’re not going to make dinner.”  
  
  
“Sad,” Blaine pouted. He kissed his way softly along Kurt’s jaw. “But ok. I’ve got dessert covered.”  
  
  
“And dinner’s almost ready. Then we can be proper adults who sit at a table for their dinner date.”  
  
  
“Fancy,” Blaine said, finally spinning back around to focus on the strawberries.  
  
  
They chatted about inconsequential things as they finished preparing dinner, moving easily around one another in the kitchen. The whole thing was thoroughly domestic, which left Kurt feeling both relaxed and anxious for what would come next. It was clear to them both where the evening was heading, if their flirtatious conversation and increasingly frequent touches were anything to go by. Kurt was sure he wouldn’t taste a bite of his dinner.  
  
  
Blaine had opted to set their places adjacent to one another, which Kurt thought was a brilliant idea. He tucked his foot between both of Blaine’s when they sat down, smiling over at him when Blaine smoothed a hand down his thigh.  
  
  
What Kurt registered of dinner was delicious, accented by a crisp white wine and their shared laughter. The music was still on, but had transitioned into something mellow and smooth that Kurt found himself swaying unconsciously to. Next to him, Blaine looked down at his empty plate and then up at Kurt, offering him a hand.  
  
  
“Dance with me?” Blaine didn’t wait for an answer. He pushed his chair back and guided Kurt out of his with the hand Kurt gave him. Hand-in-hand, they walked into the middle of the living room, where Blaine turned into Kurt’s arms, giving him another one of those warm looks full of intent. “You lead.”  
  
  
“Yeah?” Kurt’s arms were already wrapping around Blaine’s back, coaxing him closer. Blaine came willingly, reaching up to tilt Kurt’s head down with both hands so that they were almost sharing breath.  
  
  
“Yeah,” he confirmed, brushing tiny kisses across Kurt’s lips. “This is your area of expertise, after all.”  
  
  
“But you’re catching up fast.” Kurt shifted them in a slow circle, and then took one of Blaine’s hands to encourage him to turn on the spot. Blaine came back, closer than before, and Kurt dipped his head to kiss him. “See? You’re an expert.”  
  
  
“I suppose. Your turn now.” Blaine spun Kurt, grinning when they got tangled up briefly.  
  
  
Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt’s back, sliding his hands up to hook over Kurt’s shoulders. He nuzzled just above Kurt’s collar, dropping kisses on his neck in a random pattern. When he got to the hollow just below Kurt’s ear, Kurt shivered and turned his head to meet Blaine’s lips with his.  
  
  
The music played on, but their feet had stopped moving. The rhythm between them now was the give and take of lips meeting and parting, of hands grasping and stroking. Blaine eased open the top two buttons of Kurt’s shirt, tracing his fingers along Kurt’s clavicle. His mouth followed, warm and damp on Kurt’s skin.  
  
  
Kurt slipped his hands up Blaine’s back, underneath layers of soft fabric, so he could explore the muscles there as they shifted with Blaine’s movements. Blaine’s skin was smooth and hot; Kurt wanted it against his own, warming him inside and out.  
  
  
Blaine seemed to have the same idea, slowly undoing the rest of the buttons on Kurt’s shirt and slipping it off his shoulders. When Kurt’s fingers fumbled, Blaine made quick work of his own shirt before pressing himself against Kurt, his hands caressing Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt relished the way their skin slid together as he wrapped his arms back around Blaine. Without thought, his hands found their way into Blaine’s back pockets, bringing their hips flush against each other. Blaine moaned softly at the contact, his breath hot and heavy against Kurt’s neck.  
  
  
“Are you a vampire?” Kurt asked, giggling through a gasp as Blaine’s teeth skimmed down toward his shoulder. “You have a thing for my neck.”  
  
  
“I have a thing for your everything,” Blaine said, pulling back slightly. He punctuated his words with kisses. “Your neck. Your eyes. Your shoulders. Your skin. Your hands. Your lips. So gorgeous, all of you.”  
  
  
“Oh, god.” Kurt closed his eyes against the onslaught of sensations Blaine was creating. “I think I have a thing for your everything, too. Especially your words.”  
  
  
“Yeah? So you like it when I tell you how breathtaking you are? How much I want to touch you and make you fall apart under my hands?” Blaine’s voice was soft, but all the more effective for it. “Because I do. I want to touch you. Hold you. Make love to you. Do everything with you.”  
  
  
Kurt, always happier to respond to words with actions, captured Blaine’s mouth with his own, immediately deepening the kiss until Blaine’s words became moans. His focus regained, Kurt began walking Blaine backward down the hall toward his bedroom, pausing to help them both shed their pants in the process. It wasn’t the most graceful of endeavors, but it got the job done. They tumbled to the bed, only thin layers of fabric left between them, and Kurt took his time appreciating the way Blaine was stretched out across his sheets.  
  
  
“You’re really hot.” Kurt laughed a little at his lack of eloquence, compared to Blaine’s heated words. Blaine didn’t seem to mind, though. His eyes were closed, his fingers curled into the sheets while Kurt traced the lines and curves of him with an open palm. Kurt’s mouth followed, skimming over firm muscle and soft skin. He leaned up to kiss Blaine, and then slid back down to mouth over the thin cotton at the juncture between hip and thigh.  
  
  
When Kurt lifted his head, Blaine shifted to work his underwear down his hips, giving tacit permission for Kurt to look and touch and taste. Kurt took his time, experimenting to see what made Blaine squirm, and then what made him babble.  
  
  
“Oh, god, Kurt,” Blaine said, his fingers brushing Kurt’s cheek as Kurt sank down over his cock. “So good. So hot. Your _mouth_.”  
  
  
Kurt pulled back for a minute, smirking up at Blaine, his fingers tracing down the length of him to circle the base of Blaine’s cock and make his thighs quiver.  
  
  
“Blowjobs make you incoherent. Good to know.”  
  
  
“Blowjobs make you bratty. But still awesome,” Blaine replied, sounding a little wrecked. “Now come here and let me try.”  
  
  
“I wasn’t done,” Kurt said, but his pout was mostly for effect, since he was moving up the bed already, pushing his underwear down his legs as he went.  
  
  
“There will be other times,” Blaine said, stretching out on top of Kurt for a moment and running his hands down Kurt’s sides. “So many other times. Think of this as our first naked experiment. We’ll have to repeat it often to make sure our findings are correct.”  
  
  
“You’re such a dork,” Kurt said, smiling and relaxing into the bed and Blaine’s weight on him. “It’s good that you’re so damn beautiful.”  
  
  
“Mmmm. And don’t forget talented. Let me show you.”  
  
  
Blaine began kissing his way down Kurt’s torso, pausing to drag teeth and tongue over spots that made Kurt keen. Kisses scattered over Kurt’s ribs made him shiver, and soft bites to his hip bones made him arch away from the bed. Mercifully, Blaine didn’t tease for long, just looped his arms around the underside of Kurt’s thighs and then took Kurt in his mouth. Kurt felt enveloped by Blaine, his focus narrowing to the wet heat and suction of Blaine’s mouth around him. Blaine’s hands slid down to cup the curve of Kurt’s ass, holding Kurt in place as he worked him over. Then his fingers brushed inward, a promise of things to come, and Kurt could feel his body tensing.  
  
  
“Blaine…” He brushed his hand over Blaine’s head, the only warning he could manage in the moment. Blaine glanced up at him but didn’t move away. The image he presented, thoroughly debauched, with his lips stretched tight over the head of Kurt’s cock, was enough to send Kurt gasping over the edge.  
  
  
“I really, really like boys,” Blaine said, grinning wickedly and wiping the corner of his mouth before he moved back up the bed to kiss Kurt. He propped himself on his side, his free hand reaching for one of Kurt’s. “You’re my favorite, though.”  
  
  
“That feeling is entirely mutual.” Kurt reached out, wrapping their entwined fingers around Blaine’s cock, and Blaine let out a needy groan. They stroked him together, Kurt taking the lead and rolling Blaine onto his back so Kurt could kiss him, wet and messy and deep. Blaine moaned into Kurt’s mouth when he came, eventually pulling Kurt’s hand away but still kissing him like he never wanted to stop.  
  
  
They kissed, pressed close, until the sweaty stickiness got to be too much, and though Blaine made a valiant effort to stay and cuddle, Kurt herded him into the shower. They collapsed back into bed twenty minutes later, Blaine sprawled half on top of Kurt, one hand in Kurt’s damp hair.  
  
  
“This whole going on an actual date thing? Great idea,” Blaine said. “I particularly like how it ended.”  
  
  
“We didn’t even get to dessert,” Kurt said. “Not that I care, but.”  
  
  
“True. You know what strawberries would be great on, though?” Blaine said, a flirty lilt in his voice.  
  
  
“If you say ‘you,’ I will roll my eyes at you,” Kurt declared. He glanced over at Blaine, who looked thoughtful. “And now I’ve given you ideas. This could be dangerous.”  
  
  
“I was actually going to say waffles…”  
  
  
“Much safer. But I’m instituting a no food in bed rule, just in case.”  
  
  
“Party pooper,” Blaine murmured, kissing Kurt’s neck.  
  
  
“Vampire,” Kurt replied, turning his head for a proper kiss.  
  
  
“You like it.”  
  
  
“I do,” Kurt agreed, his eyes beginning to close. As much as he hated to admit it, Kim had been totally right about him needing to relax. He felt awesome.  
  
  
“Sleep, now,” Blaine said, tucking his face into Kurt’s neck. “Waffles later.”  
  
  
“Yum,” Kurt replied, and then he drifted off to sleep, Blaine secure in his arms.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waffles, Thai food, and a couple of bets make Sunday more fun.

 

Kurt was plating waffles the next morning when Blaine wandered into the kitchen, phone to his ear.  
  
  
“Yes sir, absolutely. Hm? Sorry, that’s an old prep school habit.” Blaine laughed and grabbed silverware to set the table while he talked. “Did you want to talk to him? Oh, ok. I’ll tell him. Yes, I’m looking forward to that too. See you then!”  
  
  
When Blaine hung up and turned back around, Kurt was waiting for him, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.  
  
  
“Um, your phone rang, and I thought it was mine?” Blaine grinned uncertainly.  
  
  
“Is that a question, or a statement of fact?”  
  
  
“Right. So I answered it, and it was your dad,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“You were just chatting with my father for ten minutes? Seriously?” Kurt was, frankly, a little bit flabbergasted. But Blaine looked none the worse for wear, and his dad hadn’t demanded to speak with him, so it must be ok.  
  
  
“Yeah? He sounds like a nice guy.”  
  
  
“A nice…yeah, ok. You’re either delusional, or perfect.” Kurt laughed, then, and reached out for Blaine, who came willingly. “Maybe a little bit of both.”  
  
  
“Maybe,” Blaine said, leaning up for a kiss. “Sorry if that makes it awkward, later. By the time I realized it wasn’t my phone, it was too late to just hang up.”  
  
  
“No, it’s ok. Dad knows I’m a grown up.”  
  
  
“He also figured out who I was pretty quickly,” Blaine said, obviously curious.  
  
  
“That’s because I’ve told him about you. He’s looking forward to meeting you, actually. He’ll be here for the finale.”  
  
  
“So he said. He also said something about being excited to see you crush the competition.”  
  
  
“The competitive spirit is genetic,” Kurt said, laughing again. He really, really loved his dad.  
  
  
“Obviously,” Blaine said, stepping back so he could begin ferrying breakfast over to the table. “Speaking of, are you ready for dance-off rehearsal today?”  
  
  
“Ready to kick your butt, do you mean?” Kurt sat down so he could dig into his waffle. It had turned out really well, if he did say so himself.  
  
  
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Blaine scoffed. “My team’s pretty great.”  
  
  
“Wanna bet?” Kurt asked. He waved a bit of waffle in Blaine’s direction challengingly.  
  
  
“Of course. But only if Kim’s in on it too. That’ll make it more fun.”  
  
  
“You mean more dangerous,” Kurt said. He swirled a strawberry through the whipped cream he’d made that morning before popping it in his mouth. Then he dipped another strawberry in whipped cream and held it out to Blaine. “Your turn.”  
  
  
“Mmmm, delicious,” Blaine said when he’d finished chewing. “You can be in charge of breakfast anytime.”  
  
  
“As long as you keep finding us awesome lunch,” Kurt agreed.  
  
  
“I was thinking Thai today, actually. Something light and hot, to go with the cha cha,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Listen to you, thinking like a dancer.” Kurt grinned.  
  
  
“I have to keep up with you somehow,” Blaine said. He reached for Kurt’s hand across the table.  
  
  
“You do just fine,” Kurt said, pulling Blaine’s hand up to kiss his knuckles. The look Blaine gave him made Kurt feel warm all the way to his toes. He cleared his throat and let Blaine have his hand back. “Eat up, you. We have a busy day ahead of us.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
Kurt and Blaine spent the morning being affectionate and competitive and ridiculous, at least according to Kim, who told Kurt so as they walked toward the picnic tables outside the studio. Blaine and Bitsy had raced off at the end of dance-off rehearsal and blocking so that they could finish getting lunch organized for the whole group. They were already out there, dancing around and goofing off as they distributed containers from the Thai place.  
  
  
“You should see the look on your face,” Kim said, looping one arm through Kurt’s as they watched Blaine and Bitsy. “You are so gone on that boy.”  
  
  
“He’s such a massive dork. Why is that so hot?” Kurt sat down at the closest table and leaned his cheek on his hand so he could keep watching his adorable boyfriend.  
  
  
“Because he’s comfortable with himself. Confidence is sexy, as is that ass, god…” Kim giggled when Kurt’s mouth dropped open in shock. “What? I can’t appreciate the scenery?”  
  
  
“Not when he’s mi-…I mean, isn’t that a little belittling?”  
  
  
“Don’t even try to pretend that you’re not getting all territorial. That’s hot too, by the way,” Kim said, and Kurt shoved at her a little but didn’t bother denying it. Kim crowded closer to him, her voice quieting. “So, have you two had the ‘where things go next’ conversation?”  
  
  
“We haven’t officially been together that long,” Kurt protested.  
  
  
“I know, but you both might as well be wearing giant ‘I sleep with that guy’ signs with the way you are around one another. Eventually, people are going to start to notice beyond just the cast and crew.”  
  
  
“Oh, god, is it that obvious?” Kurt tilted his head closer in toward Kim, his voice dropping to a nervous whisper.  
  
  
“Well, I might be exaggerating just a tiny bit or be more attuned to you than the average schmoe, but the point still stands. Like it or not, that talk should happen soon.”  
  
  
“I know. You’re right. We talked about it a little before, but now it’s way more relevant.”  
  
  
“Before?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“A month or so ago, I guess. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to stay closeted for that much longer.”  
  
  
“I don’t think you’d be with him, really with him, if you thought going public wasn’t on the horizon,” Kim said astutely.  
  
  
“Not after last time, no,” Kurt agreed. He’d talked to Kim a little about his history and knew she understood. “I’m too old and too out to be someone’s dirty little secret. I’ve been there and done that.”  
  
  
“And you deserve better.”  
  
  
“Yeah, I do.” Kurt looked across the tables at Blaine, who glanced up and smiled at him, slow and sweet. “He’s better. So much better.”  
  
  
“He makes you happy,” Kim said. It was a statement rather than a question.  
  
  
“God, so much. It’s a little scary, and yet it’s not, you know? It just feels right,” Kurt said, and Kim smiled at him in understanding. “We’ll talk soon, but right now it’s just nice knowing that we’ll be able to talk about it, like mature adults. The whole thing will probably be intense, but we’ll get through it together.”  
  
  
“Yeah you will,” Kim said, leaning in to squeeze Kurt around the middle and kiss his cheek. “I know we haven’t been friends that long, but seeing you happy makes me happy. Because you are so awesome.”  
  
  
“I love you too, Kim,” Kurt said, reaching around to give her a proper hug. They stayed that way until a voice across the table made them pull back.  
  
  
“Are you two done being gross and sappy and gay, yet? Because if you don’t stop soon, you’re going to put me off my feed,” Santana said, studying her nails disinterestedly.  
  
  
“Hi, ‘Tana. How’s Brit?” Kim said cheerfully. Kurt was impressed with her masterful redirect.  
  
  
“She’s good,” Santana said, her face softening into a smile. “She had to take the cat to the vet today, so I’m taking her out to dinner later.”  
  
  
“Sounds nice,” Kurt said, as he struggled to articulate the question he wanted to ask. Kim beat him to it.  
  
  
“So you two are out as a couple, right?” Kim asked. Santana nodded. “How’s that been?”  
  
  
“Not bad, actually. I’ve been out for a long time, which helps,” Santana said. “So one press release, an interview or two, and a few obnoxious photographers – that kid with the fro is creepily interested in catching us kissing – but that’s all.”  
  
  
“I see,” Kim said, shooting Kurt a meaningful look.  
  
  
“What? Are you planning to serve as Tweedle Gay and Tweedle Gayer’s press secretary, or something?” Santana asked, her eyes gleaming with frightening interest.  
  
  
“No,” Kurt said, putting a hand on Kim’s before she could reply. “No. She’s definitely not. She’s – we’re –just curious. For the future. Maybe. Probably.”  
  
  
“Uh huh,” Santana said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, when the time comes, Brits and I have your back. We freaks of nature have to stick together, right?”  
  
  
“Thanks, Santana,” Kurt said, oddly touched. She only rolled her eyes and pulled a container of curry in front of her.  
  
  
Blaine walked up a minute later and squeezed onto the bench next to Kurt. He set a plate in front of Kurt and grinned.  
  
  
“Hey, you. I brought your favorite,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“You did. Thanks,” Kurt said, leaning into Blaine a little.  
  
  
Across the table, Santana mimed retching into her lunch, but Kurt could see the corners of her mouth turning up. It was nice to know that, prickly as she was, Santana was in their corner. They’d need all the support they could get as things moved forward, especially from their competition.  
  
  
“So, listen,” Blaine said, pulling Kurt from his thoughts. “I know we usually do something Monday nights, but Elizabeth has a friend whose band is playing, and she wants me to go with her. I can meet up with you after, though?”  
  
  
“Of course. I should go to dinner with Finn and Rachel and Cedes, anyway. They’re going to disown me if they don’t see me away from the studio sometime soon.”  
  
  
“We can’t have that,” Blaine said. “Next time, I’ll come with you, ok?”  
  
  
“Absolutely. I know Finn would love to try his hand at intimidating you before Dad gets here.” Kurt rolled his eyes good-naturedly.  
  
  
“He realizes that I know him already, right?” Blaine asked.  
  
  
“And that he’s about as intimidating as a St. Bernard puppy? I hope so, by now. I mean, just because you’d have to stand on a chair to look him in the eye doesn’t mean he’s scary.” Kurt burst into laughter when Blaine dug a finger into his ribs, right where he’d discovered Kurt was most ticklish.  
  
  
“Oh I’m sure pipsqueak here makes up for his lack of height in other areas,” Santana drawled from across the table, reminding them both that they had an audience. Kurt sat up straight, grinning smugly, which was all the answer Santana needed. She shot them both a dirty grin. “Well done, boys.”  
  
  
“And I helped,” Kim said in an undertone to Kurt, who snorted.  
  
  
“Hm?” Blaine leaned in toward them, his hand settling on Kurt’s thigh.  
  
  
“Nothing, dear,” Kurt said primly, still grinning. “Kim’s just trying to take some credit for the two of us getting together.”  
  
  
“I guess she can have a little, but really, it comes down to you, and your hips, and the way you move, and…” Blaine only stopped talking because Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth.  
  
  
“Yeah, let’s save that for when we don’t have quite so eager an audience,” Kurt said, indicating Kim and Santana, who were watching them closely. Blaine nodded, his eyes wide, and Kurt released him.  
  
  
“So, Santana,” Kurt said, changing the subject. “How’s your cha cha coming? Maks has been gloating about it all over the place.”  
  
  
“Oh, it’s awesome. Obviously,” Santana said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “Though Maks tells me that neither of your dances sucks. Keep this up, and we’ll have the queerest finale in history.”  
  
  
“And that’s really saying something, considering the sheer volume of sequins and guyliner usually involved,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“I propose a pact,” Kim said. She pointed at Blaine and Santana. “You two can fill your partners in later, since they had the poor taste to not be hanging out with us right now.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Santana said. “And?”  
  
  
“I propose that, three weeks from now, we meet in the ballroom as the final three couples, for a dancing throwdown of epic proportions. Winner take all, losers buy the drinks at the cast party.”  
  
  
“The drinks at the cast party are free,” Kurt commented, amused.  
  
  
“It’s the principle of the thing,” Kim said, putting her hand over his on the table. “Who’s in?”  
  
  
“Me, definitely,” Blaine said, fitting his hand over both of theirs.  
  
  
“As if there was even a question,” Santana said, doing the same. “Let the queering of the finale begin.”  
  
  
“Wait, does that mean I get to be queer by association?” Kim asked. “Awesome!”  
  
  
“Oh my god, Kim,” Kurt said, removing his hand and standing up. “We’ll talk about it. At rehearsal. Which we are now going to have, because we have to beat these lunatics.”  
  
  
“See you after?” Blaine asked as he began gathering up plates and containers. He and Bitsy had insisted on taking care of the entire meal, including clean-up.  
  
  
“Of course,” Kurt said. He leaned over to press a kiss to Blaine’s temple. Santana started up again with the obnoxious noises, so Kurt gave her the finger.  
  
  
“Have a lovely afternoon, guys,” Kim said sweetly. She hooked her arm through Kurt’s and began to lead him away. “We’re going to go practice kicking your asses now!”  
  
  
“That should keep things interesting,” Kurt commented. Behind them, he could hear both Blaine and Santana calling for their partners.  
  
  
“Exactly the point,” Kim said. “Why are we even doing this if it can’t be insanely competitive and fun?”  
  
  
“You,” Kurt said, patting her hand, “are quite possibly the smartest woman I know.”  
  
  
“Lucky you.” Kim smiled, showing her dimple. “Now come on, partner. We have work to do.”

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On performance day, the six remaining couples fight for spots in the quarter-finals.

 

 

Monday night, Kurt sat at one end of the balcony railing, watching as Santana and Maks’ pre-performance package played behind them. They were up first and looked supremely confident. Kurt turned to catch Kim’s eye as the video came to a close, and she smirked at him, so he figured it would all be ok. He and Kim were ready, no matter what Santana and Maks threw at them.  
  
  
Brit slid in next to Kurt as the floor lights came up. She bounced on the bench, obviously excited to see the performance.  
  
  
“Ready to see what your girl can do?” Kurt asked, tucking one of Brit’s arms through his to try to quell her crazy energy.  
  
  
“Oh, I’ve seen it. I helped pick the song,” Brit said smugly, as the first strains of Toxic filled the air. Down on the floor, Santana and Maks were twisting around one another in perfect time.  
  
  
“Whoa,” Kurt said, caught up in their movement. The song was tailor-made for them, sharp and sleek and a little naughty. His Brit really was a genius, and Santana was not going to be easy to beat.  
  
  
The routine was great, showing off Santana’s precise footwork and beautiful lines. They’d captured the spirit of the song and of the cha cha. Len was going to love the fidelity to the dance, while Bruno would go crazy over the overt sexuality of the whole thing. There was no telling what Sue would do, but that was half the fun.  
  
  
By the time the number ended with a fast footwork series followed by a long, slow dip, everyone in the ballroom was on their feet and screaming. Kurt was right there with them; he might be competing against them, but he could appreciate what Santana and Maks had just accomplished.  
  
  
“If that’s not the first perfect score of the season, I will personally go poke Sue in the eye,” Kurt said, as Brit whistled and clapped next to him.  
  
  
“Damn right!” Brit yelled back over the noise of the crowd.  
  
  
Sure enough, once the judges had finished gushing over the performance – or, in Sue’s case, saying that it had somehow miraculously managed to meet her standards – they held up three sparkly 10 paddles, and Maks swung Santana around and whooped while she grinned fiercely. Kurt grabbed her for a hug after Quinn and Mark headed down to perform their mambo, and then he gave Maks a high five and a slap on the back.  
  
  
“Beat that!” Maks said, but Kurt just shook his head at him, grinning fondly.  
  
  
Neither Quinn’s mambo nor Puck’s foxtrot managed to inspire the same level of hysteria in the ballroom, but Blaine and Bitsy got the crowd cheering again with their samba. They were profoundly adorable – Blaine in a brightly colored shirt and Bitsy wearing fringed pants and a flower in her hair. By the end of their routine, everyone was smiling and clapping along. They pulled in two 9s and a 10 from Bruno, who clearly needed a talking-to for the way he was openly leering at Kurt’s boyfriend.  
  
  
“Down, boy,” Kim said in his ear, wrapping one arm around his waist. “You know Bruno’s creepy but harmless. And your man has eyes only for you.”  
  
  
“I know, I know.” Kurt relaxed into her hold and smiled when Blaine caught his eye across the balcony and winked. “We should go warm up while Lauren and Mike dance. I saw it in rehearsal, and trust me when I tell you we won’t be missing much.”  
  
  
“Poor kids,” Kim said, leading the way backstage. “They’ve done so well up to now.”  
  
  
“Can’t be everybody’s night, though.” Kurt shrugged and grabbed Kim’s hand, spinning her once they reached the practice space. Kim was wearing a gorgeous Ginger Rogers-esque dress, buttercup yellow with feather trim around the hem. Kurt’s tie and pocket square matched it, but he’d drawn the line at coordinating wingtips. They looked fabulous, if he did say so himself.  
  
  
They zipped through the routine, talking through the corner footwork that had been giving Kim a little trouble. Everything seemed to be coming together, and for once Kurt wasn’t waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was going to be a fun number, frothy and light just like the song. He’d decided not to try to emulate Judy Garland’s iconic performance of Get Happy, and had instead gone with a straightforward reaction to the way the music made him feel. Life was good, and dancing to an amazing song with a partner like Kim made it all the better.  
  
  
Kim practically skipped out on stage when it was time, Kurt on her heels. He’d decided that they’d start and then stay in hold for the most part, relying on movement around the floor as well as fast footwork and a few fancy leaps to keep things interesting. The song was buoyant enough that it didn’t require too many extra flourishes.  
  
  
Once the music started, they were off and running, almost literally. Their feet were a blur as they flew together across the floor. Kurt caught a few smiles in the front row as they moved past, and he noticed that more than one foot was tapping along to the beat. He whipped Kim around in a series of quick turns, which she followed flawlessly, and he heard a few whoops from the crowd. By the time they skidded to a halt, breathing hard, he was grinning ear to ear.  
  
  
“Oh, man,” Kim said, trying to catch her breath as they walked over to Tom. “That was awesome. That dance was a bitch, but it was worth it in the end.”  
  
  
They ended up getting two 10s and a 9 from Sue, who apparently didn’t like the color yellow. Kurt suspected she wasn’t such a big fan of happiness either. They didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because they had to run to get changed for the dance-off.  
  
  
Somehow everyone was backstage, which made getting ready more complicated. It grew more difficult still when Kurt noticed Blaine watching him while he changed shirts, his eyes hot and dark.  
  
  
“Stop that,” Kurt mouthed, grinning when Blaine came closer as though Kurt had called him.  
  
  
“Don’t wanna,” Blaine whispered, reaching over to help with Kurt’s buttons. He didn’t so much end up helping as distracting Kurt completely from the task at hand.  
  
  
“Troublemaker.” Kurt leaned in for a quick kiss. “Time to go. Your plan was to try to beat me, right?”  
  
  
“You better believe it,” Blaine said, pulling Kurt back in for one more soft kiss just under his jaw. “Loser makes breakfast?”  
  
  
“You and Kim and your bets,” Kurt said, but he nodded his assent. Mostly, he liked the implication that they’d be together the next morning. He could get used to that.  
  
  
“Showtime, boys!” Kim called, holding out her hand for Kurt. When they caught up with her at the door, she squeezed Kurt’s hand and reached out to pat Blaine’s cheek. “Let’s do this thing.”  
  
  
Blaine grinned at them both before splitting off to find Bitsy and his other teammates. Kurt rounded up Santana, Maks, Puck, and Lacey, who all looked ready to go. As team choreographer, it fell to him to give the pre-dance pep talk.  
  
  
“Ok, people, now’s not the time for big speeches,” Kurt said. “Just go out there and dance your feet off, and have some fun doing it.”  
  
  
“We’re going to kill it,” Santana said. “Or I will break you.”  
  
  
Lacey looked mildly horrified, but Maks and Kim both burst out laughing.  
  
  
“On that note,” Kurt said, trying to regain control. “Let’s go. Crisp, sexy, and fun. This dance is ours.”  
  
  
They fanned out into the audience, finding their spots for their entrances following the other team’s solos. The music kicked in then, bass pumping through the room and seeping into Kurt’s bones. Kim shimmied next to him as they watched the first three couples take their turn on the floor. Quinn and Mark kept it clean and precise, and then Lauren flipped Mike over her back, which made the audience gasp and clap. When Blaine and Bitsy came out, Kurt couldn’t tear his eyes away. Blaine absolutely killed it, his hips shaking and his feet flashing as he spun Bitsy across the floor. Dimly, Kurt heard Brit’s whistle as well as a few cat calls from the balcony, and then he felt a hard nudge from Kim as their cue approached.  
  
  
“Drool later. Dance now,” Kim hissed, gripping his hand hard to shock him back into reality. He nodded at her, focus regained, and her show smile softened into a real grin.  
  
  
As the music transitioned between verses, their team joined the other team, circling around one another with tight steps and spins. One by one, the other team’s couples departed the dance floor, followed by Puck and Lacey and then Kurt and Kim. Santana and Maks took center stage, once again reaffirming Santana’s utter mastery of the cha cha. Their solo ended with a spectacular lift, Santana almost entirely upside down on Maks’ shoulder.  
  
  
Puck and Lacey were a little goofier but still on point, nailing their turns and lift. And then it was Kurt and Kim’s turn, just as the music moved into the second chorus. Kim strutted out in front of him, taking in the cheers and applause as her due. Kurt followed, whipping her around into a quick dip before swinging her out in front of him for some quick partner work in a loose hold. They took one short breath to adjust, and then Kurt changed his grip and guided Kim as she began to spin. The turns moved across the floor, three quick ones followed by a slow step out. On the third set, Kim tilted her head back, her hair flowing behind her as she spun even faster. Kurt pulled her out of the turn and into his body, dropping her down into a deep backbend to end.  
  
  
The whole group joined them for the final verse and chorus, the men leading their partners into a circle so that the women formed the outer ring. Their steps and turns were all in synch, and with each eight count they changed partners, men and women moving in opposite directions until they found their original partners again. By the end, the crowd was on its feet once more and all three judges were standing, Bruno dancing behind the table while Len smiled and Sue stared appraisingly. The twelve dancers collapsed into one another for a hug, laughing and grinning.  
  
  
Everything after that was a blur of reorganizing and judges’ comments and audience reaction. The twelve of them stood in a line, waiting for the scores to be revealed. Members of the winning team would receive an additional twenty points to add to their first round scores, while the losing team would get only fifteen. In the end, Bruno went with Blaine’s team, while Len and Sue settled on Kurt’s, which meant…  
  
  
“We won! Take that suckers,” Santana said, punching her fist in the air and then grabbing Kurt around the neck for a hug. She then ran around and hugged everyone, because apparently winning made her friendly.  
  
  
“Way to go, Mr. Choreographer,” Kim told Kurt when she’d gotten free from Santana’s celebrations.  
  
  
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Kurt asked. The grin on his face felt permanent.  
  
  
“Feels awesome. Keep up the good work.”  
  
  
“You too,” Kurt said. If he wasn’t mistaken, they’d just secured themselves a spot in the quarter finals.  
  
  
***  
  
  
After a marathon press session – they seemed to be getting longer as the finale drew nearer – Kurt met Finn, Rachel, and Cedes for a late dinner. Rachel and Cedes hounded Kurt for details about Blaine, while Finn protested that he didn’t need to know any of those sorts of things about his brother. Kurt kept the storytelling to a minimum for Finn’s sake, and then turned the tables and asked pointed questions about Cedes’ most recent dates with Sam.  
  
  
The four of them had a wonderful time, and when they parted hours later, Rachel sweetly suggested that it would be even more fun if Sam and Blaine could make it the next time. Kurt was amazed by how far she’d come in the years since they’d first met. She was driven but not obsessed, and she’d learned how to balance friends and family with her career. She was good for Finn, and vice versa. It made Kurt happy to see how well his brother and his dear friend fit together.  
  
  
Kurt came home to an empty apartment, but from Blaine’s increasingly misspelled and goofy texts, he knew that Bitsy would be dropping Blaine by in another hour or so. The idea of tipsy, adorable Blaine being poured into a car and chauffeured over to his place made Kurt smile. It turned out that Bitsy was a pretty good sport and was being totally supportive of his and Blaine’s relationship. They still weren’t exactly friends, but at least she didn’t annoy Kurt as much as she used to.  
  
  
Sure enough, two hours later, Bitsy rang his doorbell with Blaine in tow.  
  
  
“We’re paparazzi- but not booze-free,” Bitsy said with a smile. “Please make him drink more water. You know they’ll make us perform the dance-off number again tomorrow night, and I don’t need puke on my shoes.”  
  
  
“Of course,” Kurt said. Once she’d kissed Blaine’s cheek and left, Kurt turned toward Blaine. “Well, boozy, want to come inside?”  
  
  
“I’m not that boozy,” Blaine said, making his way to the kitchen on reasonably steady legs. “I’m just happy. I got to sing with the band!”  
  
  
“I’m sure you did,” Kurt said. He filled a glass and handed it to Blaine, who leaned into Kurt’s side as he drank.  
  
  
“The lead singer was good, and she smelled nice. But she had boobs.” Blaine wrinkled his nose, and Kurt laughed.  
  
  
“Oh, honey. I, for one, am glad that’s your reaction to boobs. Works out well for me. Now let me manhandle you into bed.”  
  
  
“Manhandle? Tell me more about this manhandling,” Blaine demanded, taking Kurt’s hand and aiming for the bedroom.  
  
  
“Who said that the manhandling would be the sexy kind?” Kurt said. Blaine pouted. “Oh, fine, maybe a little sexy manhandling. After you drink more water.”  
  
  
“Yay!” Blaine clapped and slumped onto the bed, where he tangled himself up in his own shirt in his urgency to get it off. “Help?”  
  
  
“You’re hopeless, aren’t you?” Kurt asked fondly. Blaine looked up at him, blinking slowly. “Good thing I’m here to help.”  
  
  
“A very good thing,” Blaine agreed. He grabbed Kurt by the waist and tugged, tumbling them together across the bed. “I win.”  
  
  
“That you do,” Kurt said, and kissed him.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unexpected publicity prompts a serious talk between Kurt and Blaine.

 

 

Kurt’s phone rang the next morning while they were washing the breakfast dishes. Despite a slight hangover, Blaine had insisted on fulfilling his end of the bet and had put together bagel sandwiches for them both. Kurt dried his hands and grabbed his phone.  
  
  
“Morning, Cedes!” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Blaine’s still at your place, right K?” she asked.  
  
  
“Yeah. We just finished breakfast. We’re planning to go in around noon.”  
  
  
“Well, I know you hate it, but you might want to check TMZ first. That Jacob guy wrote a story about Blaine last night. Be sure to read the comments too.”  
  
  
“What kind of story?” Kurt asked. His tone made Blaine look up in concern.  
  
  
“Just read it, ok? I’m sure it’ll be fine, but it’s always better to be prepared,” Cedes insisted. “Listen, I have to go. Sam’s on his way to take me out for brunch. See you in a couple hours.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Kurt said, bewildered. “Love you.”  
  
  
“Love you too, K,” she said, and then she was gone.  
  
  
Kurt hurried into the living room to open his laptop, and when Blaine came in a couple of minutes later, Kurt turned it toward him so they could both see the headline: “Dancing Pop Star Finds Love on the Dance Floor!” Below the headline was a picture of Blaine, his arm around Bitsy, grinning as they left the club the night before. Another photo showed them at the studio, their heads bent together as they talked. The story went on to proclaim that Blaine and Bitsy were having a romantic affair which had started the moment they became dance partners.  
  
  
“Seriously?” Blaine asked, laughing. “That’s ridiculous. I don’t give them anything to go on, so they trot out the oldest cliché in the book.”  
  
  
“It’s not that far off the mark, if you think about it. I mean, I’m on the show too; I’m just not your partner,” Kurt mused. “Doesn’t it bother you, though?”  
  
  
“Why? It’s not true. I know that and you know that. What else matters?”  
  
  
“I guess,” Kurt said. The combination of false speculation and Blaine’s lack of reaction to it bugged him. “It’s a lie, though. It’s blatantly untrue.”  
  
  
“I don’t know that I’d call it a lie. Just idle speculation that doesn’t jibe with reality. And it’s none of their business either way. It’s my business, and yours. Other than that, they can say what they want. I just try to ignore it.”  
  
  
“At least it’s not something nasty, I suppose. I’ve been down that publicity road far too many times,” Kurt said, thinking back to some of the hateful comments he’d gotten when he first started on the show. Speaking of… “Cedes said we should read the comments too.”  
  
  
They scrolled down, through what looked like hundreds of ‘OMG how cute!!!!!’ and ‘I KNEW it!!!!’ comments until Kurt spotted a section with his name. There wasn’t anything definitive, just a bunch of oblique references to the amount of time the two of them seemed to spend together outside the studio and how Blaine never, ever confirmed that he had a girlfriend.  
  
  
“Well, there’s that,” Kurt said, sitting back. He wasn’t sure if he should be impressed with the random commenters’ powers of deduction or offended that they were speculating or what. He’d never dated someone well-known before. Though he’d dealt with plenty of insane press about his career, he’d been able to deal with his personal and professional lives separately.  
  
  
“There’s a first time for everything, I suppose,” Blaine said, attempting humor.  
  
  
“Yeah,” Kurt said slowly, frowning. “How is it that you’ve managed to fly under the radar for so long?”  
  
  
“I’m not totally sure. I mean, there’s the fact that people don’t look at me and assume…” Blaine trailed off, lifting his hands as though to say ‘what can you do?’.  
  
  
“Must be nice. I wish I knew what that felt like,” Kurt said, watching as Blaine sat down on the couch and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
  
“Sometimes – a lot of the time – I wish I didn’t know how it feels as well as I do.” Blaine sighed.  
  
  
“Trust me, being treated as the living embodiment of people’s stereotypes is not exactly a party,” Kurt said dryly. He expected Blaine to get that.  
  
  
“Like having people assume I’m straight is?” Blaine said, the pitch and volume of his voice rising slightly. “Even you assumed it, when we first met.”  
  
  
“Because that’s the default in the culture. You know that as well as I do,” Kurt snapped, hating himself for saying so, but knowing it was true.  
  
  
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it right. And it definitely doesn’t make it easy.”  
  
  
“Are you trying to convince me that I somehow have it easier than you do? I’m not about to buy that,” Kurt said, his arms crossing over his chest.  
  
  
“But see, in some ways, you do,” Blaine said. Kurt stared stonily at him until he continued. “I mean, at least their assumptions are right. You don’t have to spend every day, every interaction, deciding how much you’re going to say or not say, how you’re going to play the pronoun game, how much you’re going to lie about yourself and your life just so you don’t rock the boat. You don’t have the gay people you’re out to implying that you shouldn’t be such a wimp, that you should ‘do your duty’ to the queer community and come out already.”  
  
  
“Really? That’s where you’re choosing to go with this?” Kurt asked, wrapping both arms tight around his middle. Blaine’s last comment stung more than Kurt had been prepared for.  
  
  
“What? You know that every gay person I’m out to is thinking it, that even you think it. ‘What’s Blaine’s problem? Why can’t he just suck it up and find the guts to come out like the rest of us?’”  
  
  
“I don’t…that’s not…” Kurt trailed off, flustered and frustrated.  
  
  
“Do you know what it feels like when even the community that’s supposed to support you thinks you’re not good enough, that you’re doing it wrong?” Blaine asked, staring right at him.  
  
  
“Well maybe not, but I do have to deal with being judged, every minute, based on who most people perceive me to be.”  
  
  
“But that’s what I’m saying. I do too! Except in my case, they’re almost always wrong, and their assumptions paint me into this corner that I can’t seem to find my way out of.” Blaine stood up again and began pacing around the living room. He kept pacing until his phone beeped, and he stopped to scroll through the message, snorting derisively. “See? This is what I mean. That was my agent. He forwarded me the link to that article with a note saying this was finally gossip he could do something with and did I want him to release some sort of statement to keep people’s interest.”  
  
  
“Well, he’s your agent. And kind of a jackass. That’s to be expected, I suppose.” Kurt still wasn’t convinced that it was somehow harder to be Blaine.  
  
  
“Ten bucks says the next message is from my parents, asking if what they’re reading is true. Every time I bring Annie home with me, my mother looks so stupidly hopeful.”  
  
  
“Well they don’t get it yet, clearly,” Kurt said, remembering how Finn had been when their parents had met.  
  
  
“So everyone who judges you is a homophobic asshole, but the same’s not true for me? Is everyone who encourages me to stay in the closet or assumes that I must like girls or wishes me straight just being dumb? Just because they’re a little more pleasant about it doesn’t mean it’s any different,” Blaine shot back.  
  
  
“So come out, join the rest of us in the wide world of judgment and prejudice! Then you can see for yourself how bad it is.” Kurt pressed his hands to either side of his head, trying to contain the frustration and emotion he could feel rising inside. Sure it was hard, dealing with family and friends who still needed some education, but dealing with the whole world could be a nightmare.  
  
  
“I’m there, Kurt. I’ve been there since I was thirteen years old. Prejudice and ignorance begins at home, after all.” Blaine sighed. “Do you even know how lucky you are, with your dad? I’ve talked to him once, for a few minutes, and I could hear it in his voice, how proud he is of you. With my family, I’ve just had to accept that I’ll never be good enough.”  
  
  
“So screw them. Being who you really are, in public, isn’t going to change how they are.” His coming out hadn’t changed how much his dad loved him, after all. Kurt felt his frustration beginning to subside into regret. He’d been incredibly fortunate to have his family; Blaine hadn’t.  
  
  
“So, what? I should send out a press release right now? Maybe hire a skywriter to clear things up once and for all? I could do it. I could do it tomorrow, or later today, and I’d never have to hide again. And at least then I’d know who really liked me.” Blaine said sourly, his shoulders slumping.  
  
  
“Are you sure you want to do that? Right now, I mean,” Kurt said, surprising himself. He’d surprised Blaine too, judging by his expression.  
  
  
“Are you or are you not the same man who just told me – twice – to come out?”  
  
  
“Well, yes, but…”  
  
  
“But what? You’d obviously prefer I was out; I know that. What’s changed your mind?”  
  
  
“Timing, mostly. You shouldn’t do it rashly. And right in the middle of a competition isn’t a great time,” Kurt said. Before Blaine could start up again, Kurt continued, his voice softer. “Plus, this – between us – is still new. Are you sure you want to walk into a PR storm right now?”  
  
  
“Are you saying you don’t want to be there with me?” Blaine asked, taking a step back.  
  
  
“What? No.” Kurt got up and closed the distance between them, reaching out for one of Blaine’s hands. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’ll be right beside you through it all, if that’s what you want. But this affects me too, now. And we really have enough going on without adding sensationalized media coverage to the mix.”  
  
  
“You just don’t want anything to detract from your prodigy of a dance partner,” Blaine said. His smile was small, but it was there.  
  
  
“If I’m totally honest, there’s a part of me that feels that way,” Kurt admitted. “A selfish part that wants to enjoy this season, enjoy my partner – enjoy having you – without being in the middle of a circus. Dancing is my life; it’s my heart. And now you’re here too. Is it terrible that I want you to myself for a little bit longer?”  
  
  
Blaine shook his head slightly, and Kurt pressed the hand he held between both of his.  
  
  
“Will you think about it?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“I guess I don’t have to decide anything right now,” Blaine offered. Kurt took it as the olive branch it was.  
  
  
“Let’s just get through today. We can talk about it more later – talk it to death, if you want to.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Blaine said, but he still looked troubled.  
  
  
“Ok.” Kurt leaned into him for a hug, pressing his temple against Blaine’s hair. They stood there for a few minutes, wrapped loosely in one another’s arms, until things seemed to settle between them a little.  
  
  
They went about their day then, getting ready and heading to the studio to prepare for the evening’s show. Blaine was uncharacteristically quiet, and Kurt felt raw, as though all the easy bliss of the past few weeks had been scraped away. He knew reality had to set in eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to crash down on them quite so hard.  
  
  
They had a subdued lunch in Kurt’s trailer, not sure what to say, but equally unsure of how to be apart. Before they left for their separate rehearsals, Blaine turned to Kurt, catching his hands and holding them, and then drew him into a hug, Blaine’s face tucked into Kurt’s neck. They breathed together, much like Kurt and Kim did before their performances, and Kurt marveled at the ability of the person who was causing his unease to be the same person who could make everything better. It wasn’t better yet, not all the way, but being together helped. They would talk more, Kurt promised himself, but first they had to make it through to next week.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine continue to process their feelings while preparation for quarterfinals week begins.

 

 

Kurt went through the motions for that evening’s show, including a rehashing of their We Found Love performance, with a mechanical professionalism that only a few people could see through. Kim and Mercedes both cooed over him when they saw him, but quickly grew quiet when they realized he wasn’t quite ready to talk. Lacey made an extra effort to get him to smile with her goofy antics, and Mike stopped by and squeezed his hand, even though he was on his way to being eliminated with Lauren.  
  
  
Oddly, it was Santana who snapped him out of his funk, when she sat down next to him at the club they’d chosen for a cast party that night. He’d been alternating between staring morosely into his glass of water and watching Blaine, who was tucked in next to Bitsy while she tried to make him laugh. Blaine was doing that thing where he smiled over the top of his real emotions, and it made Kurt’s heart ache to see.  
  
  
“This is the lamest pity party I’ve ever seen, Hummel. You don’t even have a proper drink,” Santana said, setting a tumbler of bourbon in front of him. “Drink up, and then tell Auntie Tana all your gay little troubles.”  
  
  
“There was this article online,” Kurt began, letting the whole story spill out in between sips of his drink. Santana, to her credit, listened quietly, only moving to catch a waitress’s attention so she could refill Kurt’s bourbon.  
  
  
“Ok, two’s enough,” she announced when Kurt frowned into his empty glass. “We want you loose but not sloppy. I’m sure Polly Pocket over there will appreciate my restraint.”  
  
  
“He probably won’t come over tonight,” Kurt said, not even bothering to comment on her nickname for Blaine. “He needs his space.”  
  
  
“Fuck that noise. He’s been staring at you when you’re not looking for the last hour. You say the word, and he’ll follow you home like the faithful little French poodle he is. I mean, have you seen that hair? Insane.” Santana swung the glossy sheet of her hair over her shoulder in counterpoint.  
  
  
“You’re kind of offensive,” Kurt pointed out, leaning into the table and resting his cheek on his hand.  
  
  
“You don’t get points for stating the obvious, sweet cheeks,” Santana said, reaching over to pat his head. “But you do get points for sticking to your guns on the whole coming out thing. You shouldn’t have to hide your epic gay love story, but it’s good not to force it.”  
  
  
“So I’m not being selfish?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Oh, you are. But sometimes being a little selfish is the right thing to do. You have to stand up for yourself. It helps other people learn how to do it too. Like your boy, for example. Adorable and talented, sure, but a little bit like a jellyfish - no backbone. That’s where you come in. You’re tough, like me. A worthy adversary.” Santana grinned at him, and it felt better than a dozen sympathetic hugs.  
  
  
“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment,” he said.  
  
  
“Smart, too,” Santana said, laughing. “You’re gonna be fine. Just don’t forget that he’s not as good at this stuff as you. From what I hear, his life hasn’t exactly been a picnic, and adding a whole new level of exposure to the shitty things people say and do isn’t going to be easy.”  
  
  
“How’d you get so wise, Santana?” Kurt shifted so he was facing her fully.  
  
  
“Good friends, good parents, and some really crap experiences,” she said.  
  
  
“I think I know how that goes,” Kurt agreed.  
  
  
They shared a companionable silence for a while, until Brit showed up to steal Santana away. Kurt watched them sway together on the dance floor until he felt the banquette dip beside him.  
  
  
“Hi,” Blaine said, when Kurt looked over at him. He looked endearingly earnest. “I missed you.”  
  
  
“I missed you too,” Kurt said, reaching over to squeeze his hand.  
  
  
“Come with me?”  
  
  
“Where?” Kurt asked, but he got up to follow Blaine. They walked down a back hallway, finally turning into a little room that looked like an office of some sort.  
  
  
“I know the guy who owns this place,” Blaine said in response to the question Kurt hadn’t asked.  
  
  
“Of course you do,” Kurt said, smiling at him. Blaine stepped closer, reaching up to frame Kurt’s face with his hands.  
  
  
“I missed you,” Blaine repeated, his voice low and needy. “I know you were right there, but it wasn’t the same.”  
  
  
“I know, baby. It’s ok,” Kurt said, tilting his head down to rest his forehead against Blaine’s.  
  
  
Blaine leaned up to seal their mouths together, deepening the kiss immediately. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him close, open to everything that Blaine needed to give him. Eventually, Blaine pulled back a little, turning his face into Kurt’s neck while he caught his breath.  
  
  
“I don’t want you to think I’m not proud to be with you,” Blaine said lowly, pressing a light kiss to the shell of Kurt’s ear. “I am. So proud. You’ve changed everything, made it so much better.”  
  
  
“I know. You too. That’s why I push even when I don’t mean to, but we’ll get there…I know we will,” Kurt babbled, wanting to fix everything. He hated feeling distant.  
  
  
“Hey, slow down.” Blaine looked up at Kurt. “You said we could talk all this to death later, right? But now, I’d really just like to kiss you again and then go home with you. I want to go to sleep with your arms around me.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Kurt said faintly. He could feel himself relaxing, melting into the promise Blaine’s words held. “I’d like that too.”  
  
  
“Good,” Blaine beamed at him, his exuberant self resurfacing. “Now c’mere. Kisses first.”  
  
  
It wasn’t the best kiss, because they were both smiling too much, but it felt wonderful all the same.  
  
  
***  
  
  
By the time Kim met him in the rehearsal studio Wednesday morning, Kurt was in a much better mood. He and Blaine were doing pretty well, all things considered, and he couldn’t wait to dive into that week’s dances with Kim. They had foxtrot, a dance style Kim would pick up easily, and then they’d get to tackle argentine tango, which Kurt had wanted to teach Kim since he’d first realized her potential.  
  
  
He started their day with basics for both dances, switching it up to keep either of them from losing focus. By midday, he’d managed to walk them through the structure for each dance, and he was about to launch into lifts for the tango when Kim declared it was time for lunch. Before Kurt had a chance to object, Kim had hauled him to her trailer, where Cedes was waiting with soup, salad, and an expectant expression.  
  
  
“You totally set me up,” Kurt said, sitting down on the floor at Cedes’ feet.  
  
  
“It was necessary duplicity,” Kim said, handing Kurt his lunch. Cedes reached forward to fuss at his hair affectionately.  
  
  
“We knew you needed to talk, even if you weren’t ready to admit it. So here we are,” Cedes said.  
  
  
“And before you ask, you’re friends with us because no guys you know would have a clue how to talk this through with you,” Kim added.  
  
  
“Fine.” Kurt sighed and speared a piece of lettuce with his fork. “I guess I do need to talk. Cedes, I assume you filled Kim in?”  
  
  
“With what I know about the article, yeah. But what happened?” Cedes asked.  
  
  
“Blaine laughed it off, actually. Which somehow blew up into this argument about being out and passing and which of us has had a harder time being gay. And then I told him to just come out already, followed with a request that he wait until the end of the season so it didn’t mess things up.” Said out loud like that, it really did sound insane. Both women were staring at him, looking vaguely incredulous, so he continued. “It wasn’t my finest moment, believe me. I know I say things I don’t really mean when I get upset-”  
  
  
“You think?” Cedes asked, and Kim snorted.  
  
  
“But it’s just…being out – being me – has really sucked sometimes, you know? I didn’t react well to the idea that being in the closet is harder than being out and harassed. I know it’s been hard for him and that he hates it, but in the moment, I wasn’t very sympathetic.”  
  
  
“Now you’re being hard on yourself, K. I can tell.” Cedes patted at his hair again, and he slid down so he could rest his head against her knee.  
  
  
“A little, maybe. But I was also really hard on Blaine. We’re over it, sort of, but I have to talk to him again, more reasonably this time.”  
  
  
“You’ll have to explain where you’re coming from, I think. There’s some history there, right?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“More like an idiot of an ex-boyfriend and a lifetime of ignorant people,” Cedes muttered. Kurt reached over to give her ankle a squeeze. He really appreciated that she was always in his corner.  
  
  
“The last guy I was with kept promising that he was going to come out, but never did. The last straw was when I invited him to an event last season and he accused me of trying to undermine his career by forcing him out of the closet. Needless to say, I sent him on his way pretty quickly after that,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“I cheered,” Cedes added matter-of-factly.  
  
  
“We weren’t together for that long – six months or so – but if it had gone on much longer, I’m pretty sure Cedes would have lodged a formal complaint,” Kurt quipped, rolling his eyes. Cedes had been supportive of him through the whole relationship, but he’d also known that she didn’t think his ex had ever been good enough for him.  
  
  
“That’s my girl,” Kim said. “But yeah, I can see how that would make you a little sensitive about the topic. How much of this does Blaine know?”  
  
  
“Only the vague outlines. It’s not really a good date topic,” Kurt said, smiling wryly.  
  
  
“So, some more details and the willingness not to assume that Blaine’s going to be just like that guy, and you should be in much better shape,” Kim said.  
  
  
“Probably so,” Kurt agreed. “I know he’s so much better than that. I do. I just get freaked out sometimes. I mean, I’m a ballroom dancer with exquisite taste in fashion and a higher-than-average voice from the Midwest. You can imagine how easy that wasn’t when I was a freshman in high school.”  
  
  
“You don’t have to tell us that, sweetie,” Kim said. “Tell Blaine.”  
  
  
“I will.” Kurt smiled over at her.  
  
  
“And if he wants the unvarnished truth about your idiot ex, he can always ask me,” Cedes said.  
  
  
“No need to scare him, Cedes. I’d like it if he stuck around!” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Oh, me too. He’s good for you. You can keep him,” she replied.  
  
  
“I’m glad you approve,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“We do,” Kim said. “He adores you, which is as it should be, and it’s pretty easy to tell that he makes you happy. Particularly now that you’ve learned to make time for the sexytimes…”  
  
  
“Kim!” Kurt tried to sound shocked, but he was laughing.  
  
  
“Hey, you have to listen to me. I’m your partner, and also a married lady of experience. You should appreciate my wisdom,” Kim said.  
  
  
“So long as it doesn’t come with too many explicit stories,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“Wuss.”  
  
  
“Oversharer.”  
  
  
“Now, now, you two, behave,” Cedes said, holding up her hands. “Don’t you have some dances to learn or something?”  
  
  
“Rehearsal – the one place I can actually boss Kim around,” Kurt said, sticking his tongue out at her. She returned the favor, and then let him give her a hand up once he was back on his feet.  
  
  
“You love that I’m bossy,” Kim said, kissing his cheek with a loud smack.  
  
  
“Sure I do.” Kurt winked at her and then turned to say goodbye to Cedes, who was watching the two of them with a wide grin.  
  
  
“Have fun this afternoon, kids,” Cedes said, hugging them both in turn.  
  
  
“Don’t we always?” Kim asked, and then skipped out the door and down the steps, Kurt on her heels.  
  
  
As they walked back toward the rehearsal studio, Kurt pulled out his phone and sent Blaine a text.  
  
  
 _“Dinner tonight? At my place?”_  
  
  
 _“Of course! I’ll bring the wine. Can we have those fancy burgers you were talking about? (I’m batting my eyelashes at you.)”_  
  
  
 _“You’re absurdly adorable. I suppose I’ll give in just this once.”_  
  
  
 _“You can’t resist the eyelashes!”_  
  
  
 _“I can’t resist you.”_  
  
  
 _“ :) (That’s totally mutual, by the way.)”_  
  
  
“What are you grinning at?” Kim asked when she looked back to see Kurt several paces back.  
  
  
“Nothing much,” Kurt said, still smiling. Just his boyfriend. His adorable, heart-meltingly sweet and ridiculous boyfriend. Who he would be talking to - calmly and kindly, like the adults they were - later that night.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine come up with a game plan, and Kurt and Kim prepare two full dances for the quarter-finals.

 

 

“You realize this is a privilege that I extend to almost no one else,” Kurt told Blaine after dinner that night. He was sprawled out on the floor of his living room, his head in Blaine’s lap, while Blaine ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair.  
  
  
“I feel appropriately honored, I promise,” Blaine said, smiling down at him. Kurt grinned back and then closed his eyes, sinking into Blaine’s comforting touch while Blaine hummed above him.  
  
  
They’d talked over dinner – about growing up and being gay, about what made it difficult and what made it worth it – and they’d come to realize that, though their experiences were different, they wanted many of the same things. They wanted to be accepted, to be themselves, to be loved and creatively fulfilled and happy in whatever directions life took them. Blaine wanted to be braver, and Kurt wanted to learn how to be softer. They both wanted what was growing between them to work, and they wanted to understand where the other person was coming from.  
  
  
Kurt had told Blaine about his ex, about how he had refused to come out and had almost seemed ashamed of Kurt. Blaine talked about his family and his need to please them, even though they always seemed to find something new to criticize. While Blaine held his hand, Kurt talked about being bullied in high school and then listened while Blaine explained that bullying had caused him to change schools and keep a low profile after that. It wasn’t an easy discussion, reliving old memories they’d long since tried to move past, but it was necessary. It brought them closer even while it hurt.  
  
  
Now, after the difficult stories had been told, Kurt’s thoughts turned to the present, and then to the future they could have together.  
  
  
“What are you smiling about?” Blaine asked, his fingers still stroking Kurt’s hair.  
  
  
“You. Us,” Kurt said, unembarrassed by his honesty. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone in my life who I could plan _with_. It was always a matter of planning around.”  
  
  
“Until now,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Until you,” Kurt said, opening his eyes so he could see Blaine’s smile.  
  
  
“So will you plan my coming out party with me?” Blaine asked.  
  
  
“It’s a party now, is it? Will there be fancy outfits and dancing?” Kurt grinned.  
  
  
“With you involved, how could there not?” Blaine replied. “But seriously, I want to figure out how to do this, and to do it in a way that works for us, as a couple.”  
  
  
“Ok.” Kurt sat up and took Blaine’s hand. “Thank you, by the way. For including me, even though I was being bossy and impossible.”  
  
  
“I’m pretty sure that’s all part of your charm,” Blaine said, but Kurt wasn’t ready to let his transgressions go so easily.  
  
  
“It’s really not. I know I can be a brat, and not in a cute, fun way. My father’s been telling me that for years.” Kurt made a face as Blaine laughed. “I get it, now. Things haven’t been easy for you, and this is a big decision. A big transition. So if you need to take more time to think about it, or put it off for a year, or throw a party tomorrow, that’s fine with me. We’ll do what you need.”  
  
  
“We’ll do what  _we_ need,” Blaine said, lifting their joined hands so he could press a kiss to the inside of Kurt’s wrist. “But thanks. Having you in my corner means a lot. It means everything.”  
  
  
“You’re welcome,” Kurt murmured, leaning in for a kiss. The gentle, familiar movement of Blaine’s lips against his did nothing to quell the tender, new emotion he could feel welling up inside. He lifted his free hand to stroke Blaine’s cheek, immersing himself in sensation so he didn’t have to process everything he was feeling quite yet. They’d get there, but not today. Today was about Blaine, and being together, and going public in the best way they could find.  
  
  
They curled closely together on the floor in front of Kurt’s sofa, discussing the ways Blaine might come out that wouldn’t drive either of them mad. Blaine admitted that he could see Kurt’s point about waiting until after the show finished, particularly considering how crazy rehearsals had gotten in the last twenty-four hours. Kurt agreed with Blaine that doing something clear and definitive, like a press release and a carefully chosen exclusive interview, would be better than letting the press figure things out based on their actions. They’d just need to keep a low profile for a few more weeks, and then it wouldn’t matter anymore.  
  
  
“After all,” Blaine reasoned. “If they haven’t caught on by now that I spend most of my time over here, I think we should be all set through the finale.”  
  
  
“True,” Kurt agreed. “Speaking of, are you planning to stay tonight?”  
  
  
“Am I invited?” Blaine asked coyly.  
  
  
“You don’t need to flutter your lashes at me. You know you have an open invitation,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Mmmmm. An open invitation. Sexy,” Blaine said, making the most ridiculous seductive face Kurt had ever seen.  
  
  
“You’re absurd,” Kurt declared. Blaine pouted.  
  
  
“Oh, come here, you poor baby.” Kurt opened his arms, laughing when Blaine fell into him dramatically. “I like that you’re absurd. It’s strangely charming.”  
  
  
“Thanks.” Blaine nuzzled closer and kissed Kurt’s collarbone. “Can we be done with the serious talking now? I vote we watch something terrible.”  
  
  
“Reality tv it is!” Kurt said, reaching for the remote. “Because we clearly don’t get enough of that at work.”  
  
  
“Clearly not,” Blaine said, snuggling in against Kurt’s chest.  
  
  
Kurt rested his cheek against Blaine’s curls and sighed contentedly, ready to let some mindless tv drama carry them both away.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next morning at first light, Kurt eased out of bed, pressing a kiss to Blaine’s forehead on his way. Kurt was feeling both rested and restless, a sure sign that it was time to refine choreography. He hurried through his morning routine, pausing to leave a note on the kitchen counter, right in front of a fresh pot of coffee. Kurt knew that would be Blaine’s first stop before he headed for his rehearsal in a few hours. As much as he enjoyed Blaine’s company, Kurt could really use the solitude while Blaine slept in.  
  
  
At the studio, Kurt let himself into the rehearsal rooms. He lifted his hand in greeting as he passed the room where Maks was already working; Maks nodded but didn’t say anything. They’d both agreed long ago that early morning was the best time to get their individual creative work done without distraction.  
  
  
Kurt ran the basics of the Argentine tango first to warm up and check it for any rough spots. He tweaked it for a while, playing with the footwork sequences and timing until he felt like it would fit the music and his partner perfectly. The routine was designed to showcase Kim’s precision and grace, while Kurt provided the backdrop and the muscle. It would be sensual and classy – a tango for a grown woman who knew her own power. He couldn’t wait for the final product.  
  
  
With the AT settled, Kurt turned his attention to the foxtrot. It was set to a piece of music he loved and had first performed to as a teenager. Le Jazz Hot was somehow both a tour de force and a playful romp of a song, with a slow build that required patience and precision. Kurt would have to balance its sharp edges with the smooth rise and fall required of a traditional foxtrot. The quick turns and unison footwork he had planned would keep things interesting, while long sweeping passes in hold would add drama and grandeur. By the time he was finished with it, it would be the most interesting, exciting foxtrot the show had ever seen.  
  
  
Kim arrived, a coffee in each hand, just as Kurt finished beating a particularly tricky footwork sequence into submission. He’d gotten so caught up in choreography revision that he hadn’t registered the passage of time. He’d been dancing for hours, but only realized he was ravenous when Kim handed him an egg sandwich with his coffee and told him to eat up.  
  
  
“You work too hard,” Kim commented from where she was sitting against the mirrored front wall.  
  
  
“I’m doing it so you can win. I really don’t think you should complain,” Kurt said. He sprawled out across from her, stretching while he ate.  
  
  
“I’m not complaining, exactly. Just pointing out the reality of your existence.”  
  
  
“I’ll have you know that I didn’t work at all last night. I had dinner and watched terrible television with my boyfriend,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“And talked, I hope?”  
  
  
“And talked. We have a plan. For after the show ends. A plan that requires continuing discretion on the part of our friends and loved ones,” Kurt said pointedly.  
  
  
“Hey now,” Kim stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m the queen of discretion, I’ll have you know. Have I said a word to anyone? I mean anyone who would go straight to the tabloids, at least?”  
  
  
“Right. Queen of discretion, my ass,” Kurt said, laughing a little. “You’d wear a banner if I’d let you, just to watch people’s reactions.”  
  
  
“Science demands to know which population will be larger: those devastated by the lost chance to get romantic dances with Kurt Hummel or those desperate to have a Blaine Anderson love song dedicated only to them.” Kim clutched her hands to her chest dramatically.  
  
  
“I’m sure Blaine will win,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes at Kim’s antics.  
  
  
“Don’t be so quick to judge, hot stuff. I’m pretty sure you’d both have quite the line for your amorous attentions, if you so chose.”  
  
  
“Amorous attentions? Really?” Kurt aimed his best incredulous expression at Kim.  
  
  
“Yep. People want you to lurve them,” Kim drawled. “Though I’m sure imagining you two together is a decent second prize.”  
  
  
“You’re creepy,” Kurt said, deciding not to think too hard about what she’d just suggested.  
  
  
“What I am is correct. And smart. And ready to dance.” Kim said, getting to her feet. Kurt was grateful she was letting the previous subject drop. “What’ve you got for me today, boss?”  
  
  
“A whole lot. I hope you’re prepared to dance your feet off, because I want to get through all of both dances before we go home tonight.” Kurt got up as well and went over to cue up music for the foxtrot.  
  
  
“I’m going to hate you by noon, aren’t I?” Kim asked, but she went to Kurt willingly when he held out his hands.  
  
  
“I promise it’ll be worth it. I’m aiming for at least one set of perfect 10s.”  
  
  
“Oooooh. Now you’ve made hell week worth it,” Kim said, bouncing on her toes. “Let’s do this!”  
  
  
“That’s my girl,” Kurt said, smiling. And then he launched into choreography, with no plans to let up until they’d gotten it all right.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rehearsals continue until Kim decides everyone needs a karaoke intervention.

 

 

“I am the queen of the party planners!” Kim announced when she came back from a fifteen-minute rehearsal break on Friday afternoon.  
  
  
“Excuse me?” Kurt looked up from the floor where he had sprawled out for a cat nap. He still had at least sixty seconds left, and he didn’t like being interrupted.  
  
  
“In the matter of two hours, I’ve managed to secure us our very own karaoke lounge for a cast and crew party tonight,” she crowed.  
  
  
“You did? Were you doing this with Jedi mind tricks or something? Because I’m pretty sure you’ve been here rehearsing with me for most of that time.”  
  
  
“I love having an assistant,” Kim said, by way of an answer. “Santana may have helped a little too.”  
  
  
“Oh dear god help us all,” Kurt replied. “And that’s saying a lot, since I don’t believe in any deities.”  
  
  
“Hush, you.” Kim reached down and hauled Kurt to his feet so they could get back to work. “It’ll be fun. A little drinking, a little dancing, a little singing…”  
  
  
“Alcohol, microphones, and a bunch of competitive people,” Kurt said, shaking his head. “Whatever could go wrong?”  
  
  
“That’s the spirit!” Kim said, twirling once before she settled into Kurt’s arms. “Now drag me through this foxtrot again before it’s party time.”  
  
  
They worked well into the early evening, only breaking when Grant and the kids showed up with dinner for them both. Blaine wandered in with his own dinner a few minutes later, Bitsy in tow, and they spread out across the studio floor in a happy jumble. Once they’d finished eating, Molly insisted on doing Bitsy’s hair while Jake watched from Kurt’s lap. Blaine sat down next to them, his back against the wall, and Kurt leaned into him gratefully. It had been a long day, and he wasn’t sure how he’d stay awake and attentive for a party.  
  
  
“Hey, sweetheart,” Blaine murmured, his lips pressed lightly to Kurt’s temple. “Need a nap before the festivities?”  
  
  
“Mmmhm.” Kurt snuggled closer, resolutely ignoring the loud “Awwww!” Kim aimed in their direction. On Kurt’s lap, Jake shifted so that he could rest his head on Kurt’s shoulder.  
  
  
The three of them drifted for a while, listening to the talk and laughter around them. At one point, Kurt thought he saw the flash of a camera, but he couldn’t be bothered to tell Kim to knock it off. Kurt didn’t open his eyes until he felt Jake being lifted from his lap, and he roused himself enough to notice Kim standing in front of him.  
  
  
“Go home and make yourself presentable, sleepyhead,” Kim said to Kurt, stroking Jake’s back as he settled against her. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Kurt said, sitting up. Next to him, Blaine made a soft noise of discontent. Kim smiled at them both before turning toward the door with her family. Bitsy left with them, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the studio.  
  
  
“Don’t wanna get up,” Blaine said, sliding down so that his head was now in Kurt’s lap.  
  
  
“But if we go now, we can nap in a proper bed for a while before we have to get ready. You can be a crazy octopus snuggler and everything,” Kurt said. He ran his hand lightly over Blaine’s hair before urging him upright.  
  
  
“You have the best ideas,” Blaine said, swaying slightly once they both got to their feet. He latched back onto Kurt, tucking his forehead against Kurt’s neck, as they walked slowly toward the door.  
  
  
“Blaine, honey, this is not the easiest way to walk. Can you save it until we get back to my place?” Kurt asked, unwinding Blaine’s arms from around his waist. Blaine pouted but complied.  
  
  
The drive was mercifully quick, and Kurt barely had time to set an alarm before Blaine was pulling him down on the bed, ready for their nap. Blaine fell asleep easily, his head pillowed on Kurt’s chest, but Kurt stayed awake, savoring the quiet and closeness. Their lives were so busy right now, with the show and all its demands, and as much as Kurt loved the excitement of it all, he was looking forward to simple moments he could share with Blaine once it was all over.  
  
  
They talked sometimes, in the car or over a meal, about the things they would do after the show. Blaine would ramble on, painting a picture of a dish or a view or a sound that he wanted to share with Kurt, and Kurt would respond with a story about the people and places that had made him who he was. In those moments, Kurt could feel himself unfolding, letting Blaine know him in a way that few people ever did. He wanted that – the closeness, the honesty – even while it scared him a little. Blaine would be so easy to love. Kurt hoped that he could do so in the way that Blaine deserved.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Kurt didn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke some time later to Blaine singing in the shower. The happy sound made him smile. He got up and let himself into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. Blaine didn’t notice he had company until Kurt was stepping into the shower, but instead of being startled he just gave Kurt a flirty glance over his shoulder and kept singing.  
  
  
“Tom Jones in the shower, Blaine? Really?” Kurt asked. Blaine shrugged and shook his hips as he wrapped up the song. As soon as he finished, he turned and pulled Kurt close in a soapy hug.  
  
  
“I performed it on tour once. The fans loved it,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Please tell me you were wearing pants at the time. Not that a private, pants-free performance is ever a bad thing, but clothes in public are usually a good idea,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“You’re no fun,” Blaine pouted, beginning to hum and sway a little in a way that was thoroughly distracting when they were pressed this close together.  
  
  
“On the contrary, I’m a whole lot of fun. I’d just hate to see you arrested for public indecency, when private indecency is just as rewarding.” Kurt leaned in to kiss down the side of Blaine’s neck.  
  
  
“Mmmmm, ok. Point to you. Just keep doing that,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“But Blaine.” Kurt paused to flutter his lashes obnoxiously. “We have a party to get to.”  
  
  
“Allow me to demonstrate all the ways in which I do not care,” Blaine said, turning to capture Kurt’s lips. At the same time, he ran his hands down the length of Kurt’s back, settling them at Kurt’s waist.  
  
  
“You’re a terrible influence,” Kurt said when they managed to come up for air. “A terrible, delicious, tempting influence. But Kim really will murder me if we don’t show up.”  
  
  
“I know.” Blaine sighed. “Actually, she’d probably take me out first, considering that I’m the competition. Rain check?”  
  
  
“Absolutely,” Kurt gave him one more kiss before maneuvering Blaine out of the way so he could wash his hair. As much as Kurt wanted to drag Blaine back to bed now that they were both awake, he knew they could use the frivolity of a night out with their friends. Still… “We don’t have to stay out too late, right?”  
  
  
“I love the way you think,” Blaine said, giving him a wink as he reached for a towel.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Karaoke with the cast and crew, as it turned out, was a hell of a good time. Despite their best efforts, Kurt and Blaine were late, which drew knowing looks and catcalls from their friends. Santana made a particularly suggestive comment that made Kurt wince, but Blaine just grinned, kissed Kurt noisily on the cheek, and wandered off in search of drinks. Kurt grew more amazed by him every day.  
  
  
Kurt looked around for Kim, before finally realizing that the awful sound coming from the speakers was Kim, who was up on stage with Bitsy. They were murdering a cover of Pour Some Sugar on Me, which was both hilarious and disturbing. Even Puck, who was standing nearby talking to Mark, looked horrified.  
  
  
“Weren’t we terrible?” Kim asked cheerfully, once she’d finished performing and made her way down to Kurt.  
  
  
“You said it,” Kurt replied, kissing her cheek.  
  
  
“I know! Someone has to bring down the talent level in this crowd. It’s kind of embarrassing.” She gestured to the stage, where Mark and Puck were performing a stellar rendition of Sweet Caroline. Quinn and Lacey were right in front of the stage, singing along and putting together an impromptu dance performance to go along with the song.  
  
  
“It’s the curse of Hollywood. Everyone’s a double or triple threat,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“So what about you, Mr. I Rarely Sing in Public? Going to grace us with a song or two?”  
  
  
“Cedes and I might have something up our sleeves,” Kurt replied, grinning. He wouldn’t usually perform at this sort of thing, but something about having Blaine and Kim there made him want to show off a little. Plus, he couldn’t wait to see the look on Santana’s face.  
  
  
“Oooooh, yay!” Kim said. She clapped her hands, hopping in place and endangering the drinks Blaine was bringing over for the three of them. She stopped when he called out to her, stealing a beer from him and downing it in one long swallow.  
  
  
“You’re like a frat boy fairy princess or something,” Kurt said, watching her. “You confuse me.”  
  
  
“I get that a lot,” she replied, following it up with a burp and a giggle. Kurt didn’t have a response to that, so he took his own drink and sipped at it slowly.  
  
  
Within a few minutes, Kim had coaxed Blaine away to look at the song choices, so Kurt went in search of Cedes to discuss their plan. Rachel had just commandeered the microphone, and Kurt figured he had a while before he really needed to pay attention.  
  
  
Sure enough, it took almost twenty minutes for Rachel to get offstage, and that was only after Santana threatened her with bodily harm. Santana then proceeded to serenade Brit with increasingly sexy songs, which Kurt decided had to stop before he got any more visuals he really didn’t need.  
  
  
“I think it’s time,” Kurt said to Cedes, who was sitting on a stool next to him. Blaine looked at him questioningly, so he brushed a kiss over Blaine’s hair and whispered, “You’ll see. Give us a minute.”  
  
  
Kurt helped Cedes down and together they made a beeline for the guy running the sound equipment. Santana squawked at them when the telltale horns broke into her song and Kurt strutted past her, winking. Cedes gave him his cue, and he launched into 4 Minutes. Brit, who was right next to the stage, squealed and climbed up next to Kurt, joining him in the choreography they’d done a million times when they’d been goofing around in the studio.  
  
  
Midway through, Kurt heard a wolf whistle that could only be Kim’s, and he looked up to see Kim and Blaine dancing around near the bar and grinning back at him. Kurt shimmied in their direction to make them laugh, and then launched back into the final verse, turning up his smoldering looks and dance moves. Santana wasn’t the only one who could be borderline inappropriate in public.  
  
  
The song ended to an enthusiastic round of applause, which only tapered off when some of the crew got up to sing some ridiculous country sing-a-long. Kurt made his way back to the bar, where Blaine was waiting for him.  
  
  
“Well?” Kurt asked, leaning close to Blaine.  
  
  
“You’re incredible. I mean, I knew that already, but I swear every day I learn something new about how amazing you are,” Blaine said, his expression warm and earnest.  
  
  
“I have to keep up with you somehow,” Kurt said, sliding in closer for a kiss. “Now what are you going to sing for me?”  
  
  
“Well…” Blaine reached one hand up to scratch the back of his neck. “How opposed are you to somewhat inappropriate lyrics? I have a song I need to redeem.”  
  
  
“I trust you,” Kurt said. “But why do I get the feeling there’s a story that goes along with this one?”  
  
  
“Because there is. Ask Annie why I never wear anything from the Gap sometime. The story should keep you laughing at my expense for a while,” Blaine said, smiling and shrugging and looking generally adorable.  
  
  
“I’ll do that. I’m sure she can make time for coffee this weekend, don’t you think?” Kurt asked, laughing when Blaine made a face. “Go. Sing me something inappropriate. It’s only fair, after what Santana’s been up to.”  
  
  
“True. So, as a prelude to Annie’s story, I’ll just say that the last time I sang this song in public, I was sixteen years old,” Blaine said before he headed to the stage.  
  
  
Kurt cracked up the minute he recognized the song, and he began trying to figure out how a teenaged Blaine, the Gap, and When I Get You Alone could all come together in the same story. None of the possibilities were good. All of them were hilarious. When Blaine came sheepishly back over to him after the song, Kurt pulled him in close and said, “When I Get You Alone, hm? It was probably wildly inappropriate when you were sixteen, but now I think it’s a pretty brilliant idea.”  
  
  
As much fun as they were both having, their private after-party was sure to be twice as good. Kurt knew it.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The quarter-finals bring excellent dances and a surprise guest who's sure to complicate things.

 

 

Kurt experienced the Monday morning of the quarter-finals in a series of snapshots: Coming awake to the feeling of soft lips on the back of his neck and Blaine’s arms around him. Holding hands between the seats as Kurt drove them through the quiet, pre-dawn streets. Wet sand between his toes. Cold water splashing up his ankles as they kissed on an empty beach. His mind empty of worries, filled instead by warm hazel eyes, a gentle laugh, a loving embrace. It was the most relaxed he’d ever felt on the morning of a performance show, and he told Blaine so as they stopped by Blaine’s trailer later that morning.  
  
  
“I’m glad,” Blaine said seriously, catching Kurt’s hand. “There’s not much of this left, so I figure we should enjoy it.”  
  
  
“Definitely,” Kurt agreed. “It’s lucky that we get to do this together. Makes it sweeter, I think.”  
  
  
“You make everything sweeter,” Blaine said, crowding into Kurt’s space for a kiss.  
  
  
“That was cheesy, but I’ll allow it,” Kurt said, leaning his forehead against Blaine’s and grinning.  
  
  
“Good thing, because I can’t seem to stop myself when it comes to you,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Don’t ever stop,” Kurt murmured as he brushed their lips together.  
  
  
“Never,” Blaine promised, head tilting up for Kurt’s kiss.  
  
  
Kurt practically floated into the rehearsal studio fifteen minutes later, knowing Kim would give him hell for the stupid grin on his face but not caring. He’d had an excellent morning, and he planned to extend it into excellent rehearsals and performances. Luckily, Kim was in a great mood as well, and they launched into their final polish of both routines with minimal teasing. Before they had to break for lunch and dress rehearsal, even the tricky foxtrot footwork felt solid and Kim was nailing the Argentine tango lifts every time.  
  
  
“We’re going to be awesome!” Kim singsonged, propelling Kurt down the hall with her arm looped through his. Normally, he would caution her about being overconfident, but he knew she was right.  
  
  
Kurt went where Kim dragged him, pausing to smile and thank Shannon at craft services for saving him some of her amazing chicken salad, and then watching with bemusement as Kim and Cedes chattered their way through hair and makeup. Cedes swept Kim’s hair up into a glamorous chignon, which would work well for both foxtrot and tango, and she fussed with Kurt’s hair until she’d given him the fabulous 50s pompadour he loved.  
  
  
“Ok, James Dean, I think you’re ready,” Cedes said, patting Kurt’s shoulder.  
  
  
“Oh, does that mean I get to be Natalie Wood?” Kim asked. “I’ve always wanted to be compared to some famous leading lady.”  
  
  
“Um, Kim? You are a famous leading lady,” Kurt said, snickering.  
  
  
“On tv. That so doesn’t count,” Kim said, as though that should be obvious.  
  
  
“Well, you’re my famous leading lady,” Kurt said obsequiously. Kim rolled her eyes at him.  
  
  
“Time to go, you two,” Cedes said, one hand on her hip. “Much as I love you, Santana and Maks are coming in next, and I need a break before I have to mediate another one of their hair-related throw downs.”  
  
  
“Rumba to jive,” Kurt said knowingly. “That’s never an easy transition to manage.”  
  
  
“Don’t I know it,” Cedes said. She blew them both kisses and settled into one of her chairs as they left.  
  
  
Back in the ballroom, Kurt and Kim watched as Quinn and Mark finished their Viennese waltz, which was graceful but a little safe. Puck and Lacey were up next with a fun quickstep that was sure to please the crowd, if not the judges. They came off stage grinning, and Kurt was amused when Puck held up a hand for a high five. Kim and Kurt ran their foxtrot after that, followed by Santana and Maks’s jive. Blaine and Bitsy had the sweet spot at the end for their Viennese waltz, which Kurt found charming.  
  
  
“Bitsy’s growing on you, isn’t she?” Kim asked him when she turned and caught his approving smile.  
  
  
“She’s making my boyfriend look great out there,” Kurt said. “Can you blame me?”  
  
  
“Oh, you softie,” Kim said, jostling his shoulder and grinning. “Now c’mon. I need to put on my Spanish assassin dress.”  
  
  
“Will you stop calling it that? This is Argentine tango, not film noir,” Kurt said, following her backstage.  
  
  
“But I need to know my motivation for this character,” Kim said, overemphasizing her words.  
  
  
“You sound like a diva,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Well you are one, so it works out,” Kim replied, shucking her foxtrot dress the second they reached the costume department. By now, Kurt was so used to her complete and utter lack of shame that he didn’t even blink.  
  
  
“We’re two of a kind, babe,” Kurt said, sticking his tongue out at her. She responded in kind. He ducked behind a screen to change his pants, and when he came back out, Kim was pulling her next dress carefully over her head.  
  
  
“I mean,” Kim said once her head was visible again, “this thing is skintight and has a slit practically up to my waist. If it doesn’t scream sexy Spanish assassin chick, then I don’t know what does.”  
  
  
“Fine. But no sunglasses. This is not Men in Black,” Kurt said, settling his jacket on his shoulders. Kim pouted, but he ignored her. “Let’s go. I want to see just how inappropriate Santana and Maks’s rumba is.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
The show that night felt like a smooth slide toward the semi-finals for Kurt and Kim. They absolutely nailed their foxtrot, blending just the right amounts of flow and precision together to make Le Jazz Hot shine. Bruno raved about their theatricality, Len admired the classic moves and unison footwork, and Sue said something vaguely offensive but mostly complimentary about the number as a whole. In the end, they received two 10s, from Bruno and Len, and a 9 from Sue. For the ballroom round, their score left them tied with Blaine and Bitsy, with Santana and Maks only a point behind.  
  
  
“Queerest finale ever, here we come,” Santana whispered to Kurt as they hurried backstage to change costumes for the Latin round. Santana needed a few extra minutes to put on what she described as her ‘rumba curtain’ but was actually a sheer drape of fabric that left nothing to the imagination. Kurt wanted to get changed quickly so he could be sure Kim didn’t add any unnecessary flair to her tango dress.  
  
  
“We still have one more round and then one more week to go,” Kurt cautioned.  
  
  
“Yeah, but I saw your tango rehearsal. You two are going to kill it. And our rumba is pretty damn sexy, if I do say so myself,” Santana said.  
  
  
“I’d expect nothing less,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Oh, just wait until you see your boy’s mambo costume, or lack thereof.” Santana smiled naughtily at him, and he rolled his eyes. Blaine had wanted to surprise him with the outfit and the routine, so Kurt hadn’t stayed to watch his rehearsal that afternoon. It was a cute, if unnecessary, request, and he hadn’t minded honoring it.  
  
  
“He could wear a potato sack, and I’d still think he was gorgeous,” Kurt admitted with a shrug.  
  
  
“Because he is, I suppose. Little hottie hobbit.” Santana’s grin was more affectionate than mocking. For some reason, she seemed to have a soft spot for Blaine.  
  
  
“What was that?” Blaine’s head appeared in the doorway, followed quickly by the rest of him. Santana had been right about the outfit. Kurt had to remind himself to breathe.  
  
  
“I think you forgot your shirt, honey,” Kurt said, eyeing Blaine appreciatively.  
  
  
“I asked Sam to make me a vest instead,” Blaine said with a grin.  
  
  
“He forgot the buttons,” Kurt said, not moving as Blaine strolled toward him.  
  
  
“I know,” Blaine replied. He was now within touching distance, and oh how Kurt wanted to.  
  
  
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Santana said loudly, but neither Kurt nor Blaine responded to her.  
  
  
Dimly, Kurt heard the door slam, and then he was being crowded up against a rack of costumes by his incredibly hot and mostly undressed boyfriend. Kurt smoothed his palms across Blaine’s chest, and Blaine gave a low hum of approval as he captured Kurt’s mouth with his.  
  
  
Barely a minute later, they broke reluctantly apart when they heard a PA calling their names in the hall.  
  
  
“The show must go on, huh?” Blaine asked, smoothing the hair over Kurt’s ear with careful fingers.  
  
  
“And we’ll continue this particular show later,” Kurt promised, leaning in to kiss Blaine one last time. “For now, though, I have to tango. And watch your mambo. I can’t wait.”  
  
  
“It’s fun. You’ll like it,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“It’s you. I know I will,” Kurt replied, reaching out to squeeze Blaine’s hand as they turned toward the door. “But don’t tell Santana I said that, or she’ll mime vomiting at me during commercials for the rest of the night.”  
  
  
They were laughing as they rejoined the rest of the cast in the Celebraquarium and split off to find their partners. Kim was already at the railing, wearing her Kurt-approved outfit and watching Quinn and Mark prepare to dance on the floor below. They were doing a cha cha, which was one of Mark’s best dances, but Quinn couldn’t seem to let go enough to really make it shine. Puck and Lacey went next, performing a paso doble that was a little too macho even for a bullfight.  
  
  
“Maybe it’s the mohawk?” Kim ventured, when they only managed to score 8s.  
  
  
“That, and sometimes Lacey goes a little too crazy with the choreo and none of the judges get it,” Kurt replied. “On this show, it’s possible to be too good at what you do.”  
  
  
“But not for us. Not this time,” Kim said. She held out her hand so she could lead the way backstage for warm-up.  
  
  
“No. I’m a little biased, since I created it, but I’m pretty sure this tango is going to please everyone. Even Sue.” Kurt jumped from foot to foot to loosen his muscles.  
  
  
“A miracle!” Kim said, smiling. Then she took a deep breath and schooled her features into a tango-appropriate expression.  
  
  
They walked through the whole dance, marking the lifts and checking their timing. It felt good, solid. When they stopped to breathe, foreheads pressed together, they were perfectly in sync. Kurt knew this dance was going to be special.  
  
  
They walked quietly to the stage, holding hands, and circled around until they were right in front of the judges. Kurt wanted them to see just how well Kim embodied her character from the first moment, so her face was turned toward them, her cheek pressing into his shoulder. They started close, as the music began to snake around them, and as they moved they drew closer still. Their feet moved in a quick staccato, their upper bodies swiveling more slowly in response. The rhythm and the movement were sensuous, weaving together sound and steps to cast a spell over the ballroom.  
  
  
Under the music, Kurt could feel the heavy silence that meant every eye was trained on them. He felt buoyed rather than weighed down by the attention, because he knew it meant they were doing everything right. When he caught Kim’s gaze, she stared fiercely at him, so deep into the dance that he couldn’t help but go back under with her. They were lovers, passionate and brash. Every emotion was written in the clasp of their hands and the fierceness of their steps. When Kurt lifted her, hands at her waist, he was both pushing her away and begging her to return. She came down to earth, to him, but quickly turned away as the music ground to a halt. His only remaining connection to her was her hand, which was still clasped in his.  
  
  
Applause broke over him like a waterfall, forcing him back into reality. Kim’s hand squeezed his, and then she was grinning and hugging him. Kurt could tell from her reaction and the way the crowd was on their feet that their performance had been exactly what they’d wanted it to be. He smiled back at her as they walked over to Tom and the judges, ready to hear their thoughts.  
  
  
Sure enough, the praise was effusive, even from Sue, who said a champion could admit it when she saw something almost as worthy as she was. The shiny 10 paddles they each held up made Kim squeal and leap on Kurt, who laughed as he caught her. She was still chanting, “We’re so awesome! We’re so awesome!” when they made their way back to the balcony to watch Blaine and Bitsy’s mambo. Kurt had to tune her out so he could focus on Blaine’s performance.  
  
  
Somehow, Blaine made the mambo both sexy and adorable. He and Bitsy bopped across the floor, getting the audience back on their feet and clapping along. Kurt noticed more than one girl in the audience practically swooning when Blaine came her way, which made him grin smugly. They could look all they wanted, but Kurt was the one who’d get to take Blaine home.  
  
  
Once the dance and judges’ comments were done, Blaine and Bitsy made their way back to the Celebraquarium for their scores. Blaine caught Kurt’s eye and winked as he passed, which only made Kurt’s smile widen. Blaine and Bitsy scored two 10s and a 9, which meant that, with their perfect score, Kurt and Kim led the leader board for the night.  
  
  
“By one point!” Blaine said when Kurt pointed that out on their way back down to do press. “I think your tango used up all of Sue’s goodwill for the night.”  
  
  
“Maybe so, but still. Perfect score,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Rub what in? That you lost tonight to an actress?” came a voice from behind them.  
  
  
“Oh God,” Blaine muttered as they both turned around. A tall, strikingly good-looking man was standing there, grinning at them.  
  
  
“Hiya, squirt! Miss me?” he asked, blinding smile still firmly in place.  
  
  
“Hi, Coop,” Blaine said wanly, and Kurt suddenly made the connection. This was Cooper, Blaine’s older brother, an agent based out of New York. “What are you doing here?”  
  
  
“Is that any way to greet your big bro?” Coop replied, stepping forward to engulf Blaine in a hug. Blaine looked over at Kurt with wide, apologetic eyes.  
  
  
“And you are?” Coop asked Kurt, as though he hadn’t just attended an event at which Kurt’s name was mentioned repeatedly.  
  
  
“Kurt Hummel.” Kurt held out his hand politely, but Coop came in for another hug. Over Coop’s shoulder, Kurt could see Blaine mouthing apologies.  
  
  
Clearly, it was going to be a long night.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semifinals week gets off to a rocky start when Cooper decides to extend his stay.

 

 

In the previous 72 hours, Kurt had decided that Wednesdays were evil, Thursdays didn’t have much potential, and Blaine’s brother was the most boundary-challenged dufus of a cockblock ever to walk the earth. His initial introduction to Coop had apparently been Coop on his best behavior, which meant that he had neither name-dropped nor immediately told an embarrassing story about Blaine. What he had done was cheerfully commandeer and then derail their plans for the evening, turning a quiet night in into a wild night out, complete with Coop dancing on the bar at some tiny, seedy club one of his clients had told him about. Blaine explained that Coop’s wife, who both Blaine and Coop adored, was the only one who could keep her husband from being an oblivious, embarrassing idiot. She was home in New York with the kids, though, and Kurt and Blaine were stuck with Coop.  
  
  
“It’s not that he’s a bad guy, exactly,” Blaine had said as Kurt drove them to Blaine’s place, Coop snoring in the back seat. “He just doesn’t know when to stop and doesn’t realize that sometimes he should let other people have some of the spotlight.”  
  
  
“So he’s an infantile attention whore with an impulse control problem?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“When you say it that way it sounds so bad,” Blaine said, but though he protested slightly, he didn’t disagree.  
  
  
Kurt had dropped them off, getting only a chaste kiss goodnight once he and Blaine had managed to drag Coop into the guest room. Blaine mentioned that he usually got places with an extra bedroom since his brother often showed up unannounced and complained when he had to sleep on the couch. Kurt couldn’t decide how he should feel first: annoyed at Coop or baffled that Blaine didn’t tell him to grow up and stop being so irritating.  
  
  
On Tuesday, any possible moments alone that Blaine and Kurt might have enjoyed were interrupted by Coop, who had decided to stay the week to catch up for lost time with his brother. Kurt was reasonably certain that he and Kim had made it through to the semifinals, so he spent his unexpected free time fretting about the next two dances. They would have samba, which was notoriously hard to master, and jive, Kurt’s least favorite dance style. Each dance by itself would be complicated enough. Both of them together, the only things standing between him and his first-ever finals, were maddening.  
  
  
Tuesday night, following a routine and predictable results show in which Quinn and Mark got eliminated, Kurt got it into his head to host dinner for Blaine and Cooper at his house. He was already dangerously close to obsessing about the choreography he’d be starting the next day with Kim, and he thought the Blaine and Cooper Show, as he’d begun to think of the two brothers in his head, might be an ideal distraction. Plus, he might be able to park Coop in front of some terrible reality tv for a few minutes and get Blaine to himself for a change.  
  
  
Kurt’s plans were once again derailed when Coop threw himself into Kurt’s backseat and announced that really, he was in the mood for some take-out, and didn’t they both just love that crazy sushi place on the other side of town? Kurt stopped the car before he could get all the way out of the parking lot.  
  
  
“Give him your keys, Blaine,” Kurt said, glancing meaningfully into the back seat.  
  
  
“Huh?” Blaine replied, but then seemed to catch on when Kurt rolled his eyes skyward. “Hey, Coop, why don’t you take my car and go pick out the sushi? You always know exactly what to get.”  
  
  
“Laying it on a little thick, don’t you think?” Kurt said in an undertone. Then he watched in amazement as Coop snagged the keys and clambered out of the car, all the while keeping up a monologue about his prowess in sushi selection. “Wow.”  
  
  
“I know my brother,” Blaine said, taking Kurt’s hand now that they were alone and on their way to Kurt’s place. “Make him feel important, and he’ll get out of your hair.”  
  
  
“My hero,” Kurt said, bringing their clasped hands up to his chest.  
  
  
“I do what I can,” Blaine smiled over at him, a wicked glint in his eye. “Now take me home. I want to make up for lost time.”  
  
  
“Have I mentioned that I love the way you think? Because I do,” Kurt said, grinning back at him. “How long do you think we have?”  
  
  
“With traffic? I’d guess an hour or two. Drive fast.” With that, Blaine applied himself to stroking Kurt’s arm and leaning close to whisper all the things he’d been thinking while he’d been missing Kurt for the last 24 hours. They made it home in record time.  
  
  
Once they got inside, Kurt turned the lock securely behind them, and Blaine, already half-hard and desperate, wrapped himself around Kurt from behind. His lips found the sensitive spot at the base of Kurt’s neck and his hands sought out skin, one sliding up Kurt’s chest while the other slid snugly into the front of Kurt’s pants.  
  
  
“In a hurry?” Kurt said breathlessly, bracing his hands against the door and arching back into Blaine.  
  
  
“God, yes,” Blaine said. He pushed Kurt’s shirt up until Kurt took it all the way off, and then focused on the button of Kurt’s pants. “Can’t trust my brother not to interrupt.”  
  
  
“Bedroom,” Kurt said, turning in Blaine’s arms. He kissed Blaine and then grabbed him by the wrist to lead him down the hall.  
  
  
Kurt had just gotten Blaine’s shirt off and was sliding his zipper down when Blaine’s phone rang. Blaine looked at the display, groaned, and answered it.  
  
  
“What, Coop?”  
  
  
“Seriously? He’s calling now?” Kurt caught Blaine’s eye, and Blaine just looked at him helplessly.  
  
  
Kurt listened to their conversation, which seemed to be about what kind of drink paired best with sushi, with half his attention. The other half was focused on getting Blaine out of his jeans.  
  
  
“Coop, just pick whatever you think is best,” Blaine said, trying to swat Kurt away. Instead, Kurt finished getting him naked and then maneuvered him over to sit on the edge of the bed.  
  
  
“Feel free to keep talking,” Kurt whispered, settling on his knees in front of Blaine and running his hands up Blaine’s thighs. “I’m busy.”  
  
  
“You’re evil,” Blaine said quietly, but at least he’d stopped trying to make Kurt behave. “What, Coop? No, nothing. Wine sounds fine. Sake’s probably a bad idea the night before a lot of rehearsal.”  
  
  
The phone call continued, but Kurt tuned it out. He leaned in to kiss down Blaine’s chest, pausing to lick across one nipple and then to bite gently over Blaine’s hipbone. Blaine still had one hand to his ear, holding his phone, but the other came to rest on Kurt’s shoulder, gripping tightly.  
  
  
Finally, when Kurt had mouthed up the length of Blaine’s cock and was teasing under the head with his tongue, Blaine mumbled goodbye to his brother and tossed his phone to the far side of the bed.  
  
  
“Sweetheart, you’re killing me,” Blaine said, both hands now in Kurt’s hair. “In an awesome way, but still.”  
  
  
“You’re welcome,” Kurt said sweetly, looking up briefly before sinking his lips down over Blaine’s cock. He moaned at the taste and the feeling of Blaine in his mouth, which made Blaine whimper and grip his hair more tightly. They were locked in an erotic feedback loop of hands and lips, touch and suction, which was only broken when Blaine began pulling Kurt up toward him.  
  
  
“I want you - naked and over me,” Blaine said, pushing at Kurt’s pants and kissing whatever skin he could reach. “Need to feel you, touch you.”  
  
  
“You’re babbling, baby,” Kurt said. He shoved his pants and briefs the rest of the way down, and then pressed Blaine to the bed so he could settle against him. “But I love when you babble. I love how you feel.”  
  
  
“Mmmmm,” Blaine agreed, wrapping his legs around Kurt’s hips so they fit more snugly together. “Love this. You feel so good. So strong and hot. Want to come just like this, together.”  
  
  
“Anything for you,” Kurt said.  
  
  
He sealed his mouth over Blaine’s, drinking in Blaine’s little whimpers and moans as they moved together. Blaine was already on edge from Kurt’s mouth on him, and Kurt wasn’t far behind, just from the thrill of getting Blaine off while he tried to carry on a conversation. Kurt propped himself on one elbow and slid his other hand down to grip Blaine’s ass, driving them closer together. Blaine felt so good like this, pliant but strong. Their cocks shifted against one another, sending little shockwaves up Kurt’s spine. Their proximity, the heat and urgency between them, was enough. It didn’t take long before they were shuddering in one another’s arms, Blaine coming first and Kurt following soon after.  
  
  
Kurt stayed where he was, kissing Blaine deeply while their heart rates slowed and their bodies cooled. He knew they didn’t have much time until Coop came back, but he couldn’t bear to tear himself away.  
  
  
Eventually, he pulled back just slightly, looking down at Blaine, who was staring up at him with a sated, gorgeous smile.  
  
  
“You’re wonderful,” Blaine said, kissing Kurt’s cheeks and then his lips so sweetly that Kurt’s breath caught in his throat. “We should probably get up, though.”  
  
  
“No,” Kurt whispered, leaning back in for another kiss, and then one more. He wanted to stay right here forever, sweaty and gross and skin-to-skin with his beautiful man.  
  
  
“I know, sweetheart. I definitely owe you one,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“I plan to collect on that,” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“Come shower with me,” Blaine said, rolling them so he could get up and pull Kurt after him. “And you can tell me all about it.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
On the balance, Tuesday had turned out pretty great. Coop was a lot easier to deal with once Kurt was relaxed and sated, and his inability to shut up had meant that Kurt could stare at Blaine all evening without anyone calling him out on it. But eventually, Blaine had taken Coop home, citing the need for sleep before a long day of rehearsals, and Kurt had been right back to where he started: alone and still stressed about the next two dances.  
  
  
Kurt had gotten so used to having Blaine around to lean on as the stress of the competition increased that he barely remembered how to handle it on his own. So instead, he did what he did best – he obsessed. He ran through both dances in his head and in his living room until every piece of choreography was engraved permanently in his brain, and then after far too few hours of sleep he headed to the practice studio, where he did it all again. By the time Kim found him Wednesday morning, he was cranky and tired and in full-on perfectionist diva mode.  
  
  
“This is going to be fun,” Kim commented dryly before handing over Kurt’s giant mocha. “Here. Have some caffeine and sugar and then play nice.”  
  
  
“I just want it to be right,” Kurt said. From Kim’s expression, he knew he was dangerously close to whining.  
  
  
“Kurtsie, my love,” Kim said, gathering him up like he was one of her children, “we’ll get there. Let’s take it one dance at a time, ok?”  
  
  
“Yeah.” Kurt let himself sink into her comfort, hugging her close. “Jive choreo first, and then samba bounce. The rest can wait until tomorrow.”  
  
  
“That’s the spirit.” Kim reached up to smooth Kurt’s hair back, and then kissed his cheek. “We make a good team, yeah?”  
  
  
“I wouldn’t want to be going through this with anyone but you,” Kurt said honestly. Kim beamed at him and then went to change her shoes.  
  
  
They worked steadily all morning, but by noon Kurt had a headache and Kim didn’t like the jive much more than he did. Though Kim picked up the choreography pretty well, inspiration was eluding them. And then over lunch, Kim fielded a series of phone calls from Molly and Jake’s school, letting her know that one and then both kids were starting to get sick. Even though she dispatched Grant to pick them up, Kurt could tell that her attention was elsewhere and cut their afternoon rehearsal short.  
  
  
“Go home and check on your babies,” Kurt said. “We’ll pick up with this first thing tomorrow morning.”  
  
  
“Are you sure?” Kim asked, but she was already gathering her things to go.  
  
  
“Of course. Tell the munchkins to feel better. I’d have you give them kisses from me, but I don’t want you getting sick too.”  
  
  
“No, sir,” Kim said, blowing him a kiss on her way out the door.  
  
  
So Kurt was left with an empty, Kim- and Blaine-free afternoon and evening and no real work left to do. He didn’t even have a pro dance coming up to distract himself with. He would have gone over to bother Cedes, but she was out on a photo shoot for the afternoon, and he knew she had a standing Wednesday night date with Sam. Everyone was busy, and he wasn’t exactly fit for company at the moment anyway. Instead, he headed home to catch up on paperwork and phone calls. If he were lucky, he’d even be able to fit in some vacuuming. Clearly, his life was filled with excitement.  
  
  
Thursday morning, groggy after too much sleep the night before, Kurt dragged himself to the studio and gave himself a pep talk. It was true that he didn’t love the jive or the samba, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do a great job. He was a professional; he would manage. Somehow, he might even find some enthusiasm for the task. He had four days to get Kim up to speed and make their performances sparkle. He’d managed it for seven weeks so far, and there was no reason this one would be any different.  
  
  
Four days, and two dances. Four days, and then they’d find out if they’d made it or not. He had to pull it off, because he couldn’t imagine what would happen if he didn’t. When the door to the studio opened and Kim appeared, Kurt took a deep breath, pasted on a smile, and got to work. Four more days.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally the day of the semifinals, but Kurt's still struggling to feel prepared.

 

 

On Monday morning, Kurt woke to thunder, lightning, and an empty bed. Blaine had been staying at his place with his brother for the past week, and Kurt missed him more than he had expected. He’d been hoping to go for a long walk on the beach to clear his head and focus on the show rather than his missing boyfriend, but that didn’t look like an option. The scene outside his window was dark and foreboding, sheets of rain being illuminated by regular lightening strikes. Just getting to the studio would be hard enough – forget trying for the beach.  
  
  
Kurt went into the kitchen to put coffee on, and then stood in front of the living room window with his mug cupped in both hands. In some ways, the rain was a nice respite, because he didn’t feel quite ready to meet the world just yet. It had been a long week leading up to the semifinals, full of complications and mental blocks and the slow drain of fighting against two dance styles that never came naturally to him. Kim’s kids were still sick, which meant that she was harried and run down. Blaine was more on edge than Kurt had ever seen him, due to a combination of semifinals stress and his brother’s extended visit. And with Kurt’s two go-to stress relievers both preoccupied and stressed themselves, Kurt felt both increasingly exhausted and anxious.  
  
  
Kurt had met up with Cedes, Brit, and Tina for Saturday brunch, which had helped a little. They’d listened patiently while he spilled all his woes, patting his hand and making sympathetic noises. Then they’d fallen back on their tried-and-true method of cheering him up – telling embarrassing stories and bawdy jokes until Kurt turned bright red and then had to laugh at his own expense. On the way out, each of the girls had given him long hugs, which had buoyed him for another long day of rehearsals.  
  
  
Kurt smiled at the memory as he sipped his coffee, grateful for a strong dark roast and friends who were just as bracing. They wouldn’t approve of him wallowing, he knew, so instead he’d put together a quick breakfast and then head to the studio for a little dance therapy. Some barre work would put everything into perspective.  
  
  
Two hours later, Kurt was stretching on the floor of the small practice studio when the sound of the door opening made him look up. Blaine was standing there, looking adorable in yoga pants and a striped shirt. He was also without his brother for the first time in days.  
  
  
“Brittany offered to take Coop to brunch,” Blaine said, grinning at Kurt’s surprised expression. He closed the door behind him and walked over to Kurt. “I figure that should keep them both occupied and a little confused for a few hours.”  
  
  
“I love that girl,” Kurt said, letting Blaine give him a hand up. He went directly into Blaine’s arms, holding him tight. “Is it stupid that I missed you?”  
  
  
“God, no. I’ve missed you like crazy. This week has been…” Blaine trailed off.  
  
  
“Crazy?” Kurt supplied. “Stressful? Insane? Maddening?”  
  
  
“Tell me how you really feel,” Blaine joked. “But really, you’re right. It’s been nuts. But it’s almost over. Coop’s got a redeye tonight after the show.”  
  
  
“Halleluia,” Kurt said quietly, making Blaine laugh. “I know he’s your brother and you love him, but you can love him twice as well from the opposite coast.”  
  
  
“True. I’ll have to take you out there after the show – introduce you to the rest of the family. In his natural habitat, Coop’s pretty manageable,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Just so long as we can make a stop in Ohio. I know Dad and Carole will want to get hold of you on their home turf,” Kurt said, giggling to himself at Blaine’s expression. “Don’t worry – the worst part of that will be Carole force-feeding you and Dad talking incessantly about cars. They’re going to adore you, just like I do.”  
  
  
“Yeah?” Blaine tilted his head and looked up at Kurt through his lashes.  
  
  
“Are you really nervous about them?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“A little?” Blaine replied. “I know how much they mean to you. I want them to approve, you know?”  
  
  
“You,” Kurt began, shifting so that he could wind his arms around Blaine’s neck, “are adorable. And sweet. And they’ll approve of you, because I approve of you. Very much.”  
  
  
“Just what kind of approval are we talking about here?” Blaine flirted back, relaxing in Kurt’s arms.  
  
  
“All the kinds that matter,” Kurt said, ending the conversation with a kiss.  
  
  
He’d meant to keep it light and flirty, but Blaine tugged him closer with a needy whimper, his mouth hot and demanding against Kurt’s. The way Blaine gave himself over to Kurt so easily sent a thrill down Kurt’s spine, and he let himself be just as open, backing up against the nearest wall so that Blaine could settle against him. They kissed for long, liquid minutes, trying to make up for the last week by getting as close as possible. When they finally eased back, arms still around one another, there were smiles on both their faces.  
  
  
“Mmmm, much better,” Blaine said, pressing a light kiss just behind Kurt’s ear. “Last week sucked. Let’s not do that again, ok?”  
  
  
“Ok,” Kurt agreed easily, though he did eventually want to know more about why Blaine gave Coop his way so often. It was sweet, but awfully inconvenient.  
  
  
“Would it be selfish of me to ask for you all to myself tonight after the show? I’m so tired of being away from you,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Sometimes, being a little selfish is exactly the right thing to do,” Kurt murmured, turning toward Blaine for another kiss. “This is definitely one of those times.”  
  
  
“Until tonight, then?” Blaine asked, glancing down at his watch. “Kim and Elizabeth will be here any minute for rehearsals.”  
  
  
“Duty calls,” Kurt said wryly. He leaned in for one more kiss, and then stepped back and ran a hand over his hair to set it to rights.  
  
  
“That it does,” Blaine said. He grinned at Kurt, quick and bright, before turning for the door and heading out of sight.  
  
  
Kurt sighed, feeling both fond and resigned, and walked across the room to get his ballroom shoes. Like it or not, the semifinals were here, and it was time to get to work.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Backstage before the show began, Kurt and Kim huddled in a quiet corner, heads together and fingers linked. They’d had a decent dress rehearsal, but the stresses of the week combined with Kurt’s mental block about the jive meant that they weren’t feeling as focused as they would have liked.  
  
  
They were up first, which meant that they didn’t have long. Once they were out on the floor for the start of the show, they’d stay until their jive was done. In ten minutes’ time, they’d be on the steady slide down toward the finals, for better or for worse.  
  
  
“Kurt,” Kim squeezed his fingers to regain his attention. Her expression showed nerves and determination in equal measure.  
  
  
“I know. I’m here,” he replied. “Have fun and dance hard, ok? That’s all we can control.”  
  
  
“No matter what happens, I want you to know that I love this. I love you,” Kim said fiercely. “You’re one of mine now. My people. My family.”  
  
  
“I love you too,” Kurt told her, closing his eyes and swallowing against the tears that threatened. When he opened his eyes to look at her, he could tell that she was holding back tears too.  
  
  
“We’re going to go out there and dance our cute little butts off. And then we’re going to do it again,” Kim said, some of her usual bravado resurfacing. “You with me?”  
  
  
“Always.” Kurt smiled at her and let go of her hands so he could give her a quick hug. When he stepped back, they were both a little less emotional.  
  
  
The call for places came a moment later, and Kim dragged Kurt off in search of the other cast members. They were gathered in the wings just offstage, and when Kurt and Kim showed up, the group made a loose circle. Blaine scooted in next to Kurt, taking his left hand, while Kim gripped his right. Across from them, Maks was offering some final pre-show thoughts, one arm draped over Santana’s shoulders. They both looked reasonably relaxed, which Kurt knew was due in large part to their dances for the evening. Quickstep and paso doble were sure to go well for them.  
  
  
Next to Maks, Lacey was shifting from foot to foot, Puck standing behind her with his hands steady on her shoulders. He looked a little awkward in his suit for the Viennese waltz, but Lacey’s gorgeous purple gown more than made up for it. They’d be dancing rumba second, which was sure to be interesting. Kurt didn’t really want to wish them ill, but he couldn’t help but hope that their night would be just as fraught with potential challenges as his.  
  
  
Unlike Puck, Blaine looked perfectly at home in his suit for the foxtrot, and Bitsy looked stunning in black and white satin. They would make a handsome couple out on the floor, and since they were going third, just after Puck and Lacey, Kurt would have time to watch them. Later in the evening, they’d switch gears entirely and dance an Argentine tango, which Kurt really couldn’t wait to see.  
  
  
Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand to get his attention, and Kurt grinned over at him. Now that the show was within minutes of starting, his nerves were beginning to smooth out. He was about to dance and do what he could to control what happened next. And whatever happened, at least one of them would make it through to the finals. If Blaine was the only one, Kurt would find it in himself to cheer his boyfriend on. He knew Blaine would do the same. But they’d both give anything to still be competing against one another for one more week.  
  
  
As the lights dimmed and they headed out on stage, Kurt promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make the finals. He took Kim’s hand, pasted a wide smile on his face, and prepared to dance the jive and samba of his life.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions run high as the four remaining couples dance for a spot in the finals.

 

 

“You don’t like the jive much, do you, Porcelain?” Sue stared down at Kurt from her chair behind the judges’ table.  
  
  
“Not particularly, no,” he answered, gripping Kim’s hand more tightly. They’d just finished performing, and his adrenaline was still running high.  
  
  
“Well, it didn’t suck,” Sue announced, “but it could have been crisper and more daring. You don’t win anything by playing it safe. I should know!”  
  
  
“Eight?” Kim whispered in Kurt’s ear as Sue wrapped up her comments and Bruno began flailing as he talked.  
  
  
“Nine if we’re lucky,” Kurt whispered back. “It went pretty well, but that was no tango.”  
  
  
“Amen, brother,” Kim said. She smiled widely at Bruno, who appeared to be done with his rant, and then waited politely for Tom to send them to commercial. The moment the cameras turned away, she wrapped herself around one of Kurt’s arms and let him pull her up the stairs.  
  
  
Back in the celebraquarium, Santana gave them a wink that was somehow sympathetic, Maks clapped Kurt on the back, Lacey kissed both their cheeks, and Blaine communicated an entire supportive and adorable paragraph through eye contact alone. Puck said something nonsensical but ultimately kind, and Bitsy even rushed over to hug Kim and squeeze Kurt’s hand. It didn’t bode well.  
  
  
Sure enough, they scored an 8 and two 9s, which would have been great three weeks ago, but was now terrifying. Their samba would have to be impeccable in order for Kurt to be able to sleep tonight.  
  
  
Backstage, Kurt and Kim stumbled out of one costume and into the next while Sam and Cedes hovered and looked suitably concerned. They made it back out to the balcony with a few minutes to spare before Blaine and Bitsy’s foxtrot. Kim sank down onto the nearest seat, and Kurt tucked himself into the space between her and Santana.  
  
  
“Well?” Kurt asked, looking at Santana expectantly.  
  
  
“Planning to sell yourself on the open market? Or is there another reason you don’t believe in shirts for the samba?” Santana smirked at Kurt, her eyes running up and down his bare chest in a way designed to make him uncomfortable. Instead, he felt a little proud.  
  
  
“Says the woman who regularly wears a couple of band-aids and some glitter and calls it a costume,” he retorted, already feeling more relaxed.  
  
  
“Unlike you, I don’t even attempt to dress myself for this show. And the profound lack of fabric in my ‘gowns’ is about the only reason Sam doesn’t ping my gaydar. That and his inability to keep his tongue to himself when Mercedes is around. I mean, it’s one thing to be into the opposite sex, but there’s no reason to go rubbing my face in it like that.” Santana reached up to smooth her hair back, her lips pursed. Kurt thought she was probably holding back a smile.  
  
  
“Straight people,” Kurt said, attempting to match her dry tone. “What can you do?”  
  
  
Kurt bumped Santana’s shoulder, and she winked at him, her grin appearing and then disappearing again just as quickly.  
  
  
“Three 8s, by the way. They were a hot mess – Lacey had the ‘hot’ covered; Puckerman was the ‘mess.’” Santana said in an undertone.  
  
  
“Not that surprising,” Kurt agreed. He took a deep breath, forcing his shoulders down. At least he and Kim weren’t in last place.  
  
  
“Looks like your boy’s about to blow everyone out of the water,” Santana said, motioning toward the floor, where Blaine and Bitsy had just taken their opening pose. “I saw them run this during dress. Pocket Gay certainly makes a dashing leading man.”  
  
  
“He does, doesn’t he?” Kurt replied. He tried to keep his tone from getting too saccharine. Judging from Santana’s snort, he hadn’t quite managed it.  
  
  
Kurt’s gaze stayed locked on the dance floor as the music started up, the singer making an admirable effort to channel both Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble as he launched into For Once in My Life. Blaine and Bitsy glided across the floor, looking every inch the classy ballroom couple.  
  
  
“Nice song choice, Blainers,” Kim said approvingly as she leaned in to rest her cheek on Kurt’s shoulder.  
  
  
“What makes you think he picked it?” Kurt asked, distracted by the way Blaine and Bitsy twirled as the singer crooned “for once I can touch what my heart used to dream of.”  
  
  
“Elizabeth mentioned it. Said he was really adamant.” Kim said. Kurt could hear the smile in her voice. “Wonder why?”  
  
  
“Shut up, Kim,” Kurt said, his cheeks heating. He knew what Kim was implying, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to trust her or the way his heart was beating faster from the thought.  
  
  
Mercifully, Kim didn’t say anything more, even when they could clearly see Blaine mouthing the lyrics to the end of the song. The song – and their performance – ended with a flourish, and Blaine dipped Bitsy so low her hair swept the ground. When he pulled her back up, the audience was on its feet cheering. Blaine grinned around at them, and Kurt could have sworn that his smile got a little bit wider when he glanced up to the balcony Kurt was standing on.  
  
  
The judges were effusive in their praise: Len called them the height of Old Hollywood glamour and grace, Bruno trilled something about it being no wonder that all of America was in love with Blaine, and even Sue found nothing to gripe about in their performance. Blaine smiled bashfully, his eyes bright, while Bitsy bounced and clapped next to him. It took them forever to get back up to the celebraquarium because they kept getting stopped by well-wishers. Kurt just kept clapping for them, his smile so wide his cheeks were starting to hurt.  
  
  
No one but Blaine was surprised when each of the judges waved a shiny 10 paddle, and everyone crowded around him and Bitsy to congratulate them. In the middle of their group hug, Kurt found Blaine’s hand with his, squeezing it briefly to try to convey some of the pride and excitement he was feeling. Blaine caught his eye, his gaze so full of happiness and emotion that Kurt had to look away before he started to cry. There was no use denying it now – Kurt was falling hard for this wonderful, impossible, adorable man. It felt overwhelming and right.  
  
  
Kurt was left with his thoughts and feelings while Santana and Maks went down to perform and Blaine and Bitsy headed backstage to change. Kim gave him a minute alone before grabbing his hand so that they could go warm up for their samba. Then she gave him another minute just to breathe, knowing without asking that he needed to get more settled and focused.  
  
  
“You ok?” she finally asked, holding both his hands in hers.  
  
  
“I’m…great, actually,” Kurt replied, his smile returning. Kim laughed.  
  
  
“I’m sure you are, Kurtsie. Think you can come down from the clouds long enough to party on the dance floor?” Kim swung her hips to demonstrate.  
  
  
“Yeah. Yes. Of course.” Kurt took another deep breath, willing all extraneous thoughts out of his mind. “Let’s run through it.”  
  
  
They fell into their normal pre-performance routine, running the number once while Kurt hummed the song. There were a couple of small adjustments to make, and then it was time to get out on the floor. As they walked to their starting places, Kurt called on all of his professional experience to keep himself grounded and in the moment. It was a big night in so many ways, but right now he needed to focus on getting through the next couple of minutes. Blaine – and Kurt’s feelings for him – would have to wait.  
  
  
Kurt turned to look at Kim, who was across the floor from him, shimmying in place while the audience members closest to her laughed and clapped. Then she looked up at Kurt, sending him a smile and a wink. Just like that, Kurt was in the moment.  
  
  
The music began, a steady beat that set his hips swinging as he made his way to the middle of the floor to meet Kim. Her steps were perfectly timed, with just the right balance of bounce and control. In the last twenty-four hours, she’d gotten a solid handle on the samba, and it showed.  
  
  
Within moments, the audience was clapping along, and both Kurt and Kim were grinning widely as they flew around the floor. This performance was light years away from their jive earlier in the night, and they both knew it. Kim turned into Kurt, her back to his front, and they undulated together, right arms twined and lifted as they circled in a samba roll. The audience went crazy and then cheered even louder when Kurt whipped Kim into a series of turns, ending with a dip so low Kim was practically on the floor. Then, as the music came to its final crescendo, Kurt pulled her back up, only to drop her into a split at his feet.  
  
  
When Kurt leaned down to help Kim up, she was grinning at him. He thought she tried to tell him something, but he couldn’t hear her over the applause and whistles of the crowd. He shook his head, smiling apologetically, so she just squeezed his hand and smiled some more. He didn’t need to hear her, not really, because he knew what she was trying to say. They’d done well, done all they could, and now it was up to the judges and the voters.  
  
  
The judges’ comments were good, though Sue looked murderous when she kept getting interrupted by whoops from the crowd. Kurt felt good about their performance in a way he definitely hadn’t about the jive, and he hoped it was enough. When Tom sent them back to the celebraquarium during the commercial, Kurt slung his arm around Kim’s shoulders and squeezed tight.  
  
  
“I’m choosing to interpret all that yelling as a sign of good things to come,” Kim said, leaning into Kurt.  
  
  
“Works for me,” Kurt said. He tried to push down his remaining doubts. There’d be time enough for that during the results show the next night. He didn’t need to get ahead of himself.  
  
  
Their scores, when they came, were good. Bruno and Len both gave them 10s, while Sue – probably in a fit of pique – gave them a 9. Their grand total for the night was 55 out of 60, which wasn’t quite as perfect as Kurt would have liked, but solid all the same. He could live with it. He had to live with it, at least for the next twenty-four hours.  
  
  
Kurt got lost in his thoughts until Santana and Kim grabbed him by the elbows and steered him out onto the balcony for Blaine and Bitsy’s Argentine tango. They sat down on either side of him, Kim exclaiming over Bitsy’s dress, a deep burgundy shift under black lace, while Santana wondered aloud if Blaine thought anyone would really be intimidated by a pint-sized gangster.  
  
  
“I like the hat,” Kurt said, understating just how much he responded to Blaine’s dark and dangerous look.  
  
  
“If the next words out of your mouth are ‘and he’s fun-sized, not pint-sized,’ I will vomit on the two rows in front of us, so help me God,” Santana shot back. “Keep your kinky sex games to yourself.”  
  
  
“I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you shared stories, but for some reason you seem to value your privacy,” Kim said, and Kurt spluttered uselessly at her. Santana snorted, and Kim smiled benignly at both of them.  
  
  
“Why am I friends with you two again?” Kurt finally asked, rubbing one hand over his face.  
  
  
“Because we’re lovely,” Kim said.  
  
  
“And a damn good time,” Santana added. “Now pay attention, or you’ll miss your little nightclub fantasy come to life.”  
  
  
Kurt decided to leave well enough alone and turned his attention back to the dance floor, where Blaine and Bitsy were circling one another as the first notes of music began to build. They came together, and their movements were sharp but sensual, somehow both caressing and attacking at once. Next to Kurt, both Santana and Kim sat transfixed, drawn into the dance just as he was.  
  
  
Kurt held his breath when Blaine lifted Bitsy overhead, her back arched into his hands. Then he brought her slowly down and wrapped his arms around her as they moved as one. The dance was a measured and steady seduction, occasional quick movements offset by the push of feet across the floor and the slow arc of arms as they rose and fell. By the end, when the silence before the applause held them all enraptured, Kurt wanted nothing more than to be with Blaine, to dance with him, to be touched by his hands. Their performance had fully worked its magic on him, just as it had on everyone in the ballroom.  
  
  
When the moment finally broke with cheers and whistles, Kurt felt as though he was surfacing after a long time underwater. Both Kim and Santana had gotten up to stand at the railing, leaving Kurt to his thoughts, which raced through his brain unheeded. He needed the night – the stress and the strain of it – to end. He needed a chance to process everything in his own time. He needed quiet space and dark night. He needed Blaine.  
  



	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a rough semi-finals for Kurt and Kim, Kurt and Blaine make time for some romance and affection.

 

 

Two hours passed before Kurt was able to pull himself away from the still-crowded ballroom. He’d put off invitations to dinners and after parties, and because everyone knew his tendency to brood after a particularly difficult night, they let him go without much protest. Before he left, Kim pulled him in for a kiss and a hug, but even she didn’t say anything. Kurt was grateful for the effortless way she could read his moods now.  
  
  
Kurt slipped away without fanfare, only pausing to text Blaine so that he would know where to go. Within the hour, Kurt was home and showered, with plates out on his dining room table and delicate tapers burning brightly in his mother’s favorite candlesticks. By the time Blaine knocked at his door, Kurt was feeling decidedly more settled and ready for a quiet evening in.  
  
  
“Hi,” Blaine said when Kurt opened the door. He had a bottle of wine in one hand and a clutch of daisies in the other. He smiled sweet and slow, and Kurt’s stomach flipped in response.  
  
  
“Hey.” Kurt reached out for Blaine, but got an armful of daisies instead. He leaned over them for a kiss once Blaine had stepped inside. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”  
  
  
“You’re welcome. They just seemed so cheerful, and I like to make you smile.” Blaine wandered toward the kitchen to find the corkscrew.  
  
  
“You’re good at that,” Kurt said, busying himself with putting the flowers in a vase and setting them on the table. When he turned around, Blaine was holding out a glass of wine. “You think of everything.”  
  
  
“I try,” Blaine said. They both took a few sips from their glasses and smiled at one another as they put the glasses down. “C’mere.”  
  
  
Kurt went willingly, twining his arms around Blaine’s neck to hold him close. Blaine pressed his cheek against Kurt’s, rocking them gently to the beat of the music playing in the background. His hands were warm and firm on Kurt’s back, making Kurt feel safe and cherished.  
  
  
“You know,” Blaine said conversationally as they spun slowly on the spot, “the one thing I regret about this whole experience is that I don’t get to dance with you more often. Not fancy dancing – just like this. Slow and easy and us.”  
  
  
“I say we make it a priority,” Kurt said, slipping one hand down to loop up under Blaine’s shoulder. Blaine nodded his agreement, and then tucked his face into Kurt’s neck, settling easily. Kurt loved how well they fit together.  
  
  
They stayed in each other’s arms for a while, dancing through one song and into the next, until Blaine’s stomach growled and they both got the giggles. Kurt took that as his cue to get dinner on the table. He’d made fancy salads and some angel hair pasta, and Blaine had promised to clean up. Kurt thought they made an excellent team.  
  
  
Dinner, complete with wine and candlelight, served to relax them both. By mutual silent agreement, they didn’t talk about that night’s show, choosing instead to share silly stories from the past week and keep things light. They held hands across the table like teenagers, their smiles wide and their laughter easy.  
  
  
When they finished, Kurt followed Blaine into the kitchen and hopped up on the counter to watch him clean up. There was something so deliciously domestic about these little moments; Kurt didn’t want to miss a single one.  
  
  
“All done,” Blaine announced a few minutes later, drying his hands and then stepping in between Kurt’s knees for a kiss.  
  
  
“Mmmm. Nice work. You’re a very accomplished kitchen cleaner,” Kurt said, the fingers of one hand sifting through Blaine’s curls.  
  
  
“Why thank you,” Blaine said, batting his eyelashes and grinning up at Kurt. His hands pressed into Kurt’s lower back, pulling him closer. “Are you feeling better now?”  
  
  
“Much. You’re good at getting my mind off things,” Kurt replied. He wrinkled his nose, letting his mind dip back down into his fears and anxieties for a moment before focusing on Blaine again. Tonight was about them; he would worry about the show in the morning.  
  
  
In front of him, Blaine made a ridiculous face and then cracked up for no apparent reason.  
  
  
“What?” Kurt asked, smiling uncertainly.  
  
  
“Oh, nothing. I was just about to make a terrible pun about getting off, but I decided to spare you.” Blaine laughed and pressed a kiss to Kurt’s cheek.  
  
  
“But not spare the actual getting off, I hope?” Kurt tried for coy, but his grin betrayed him. They both dissolved into laughter again. Kurt was still giggling when Blaine looked up with a tender smile and cupped Kurt’s face in both hands.  
  
  
“I adore you, you know?” Blaine said. His thumbs swept softly across Kurt’s cheeks, and then he leaned in for a barely-there kiss. “You are the absolute best thing. I’m so lucky.”  
  
  
Kurt could feel tears forming in his eyes even as his smile widened. There were so many things he could say in response, but only one that resonated in his very heart. He took a deep breath.  
  
  
“I love you.” Kurt held Blaine’s gaze, watching as his expression gentled from surprise into wonder. Then a smile stole across his face, and he tilted his forehead against Kurt’s.  
  
  
“I love you too. So much.” Blaine’s voice was rough with emotion. Before Kurt could react, Blaine was kissing him, his hands on Kurt’s face now sliding back to anchor in his hair and keep him close. Kurt melted into Blaine, letting himself feel everything that he’d worried wouldn’t be shared between them.  
  
  
They didn’t move from that spot, exchanging kisses and gentle touches and glances that expressed more than words could say. Kurt slid fully into the moment, letting every other worry and care drift away. All that mattered was the way Blaine held him, touching lips to lips and hands to skin as though Kurt were the most precious thing in the world. Kurt loved knowing that they felt the same way about one another.  
  
  
Eventually, Blaine pulled back enough to help Kurt down off the counter so they could walk, hand in hand, to Kurt’s bedroom. Blaine turned on the lamp while Kurt smoothed down the covers, and then they met again at the side of the bed.  
  
  
Amid soft laughter and murmured words of love, they stripped off layers of clothing until they were skin to skin, pressed flushed and aching against one another. Kurt had never felt like this, aroused all the way to the tips of his fingers and the soles of his feet. His skin was buzzing, sensitive to every place he and Blaine were touching and aware of every spot they weren’t. He moved to stretch out across the bed, pulling Blaine after him, wanting to feel him everywhere. Blaine stretched out over him, obviously feeling the same desires.  
  
  
“I want you to make love to me,” Blaine whispered, moving with Kurt. “Let me make love to you.”  
  
  
Kurt nodded, not fully comprehending what Blaine meant until Blaine had pulled away for a moment to rummage in the bedside drawer. He returned with his fingers slicked and ready but didn’t reach for Kurt. Instead, Blaine leaned forward again, his breath escaping in a rush as he reached behind himself and pressed in.  
  
  
“Let me,” Blaine said again, his words slightly unsteady. “I want you there, with me.”  
  
  
“Yes,” Kurt breathed, his fingers tracing over Blaine’s skin, following the movement of Blaine’s fingers as they worked him open. It was sexual and unbearably intimate, feeling Blaine move and watching his arousal build in the taut lines of his body and the soft focus of his eyes. Kurt kissed him, a messy meeting of lips and tongues, and let himself sink further into the bed, carried away on a tide of sensation.  
  
  
Blaine moved away again, returning to smooth a condom down Kurt’s cock with a reverence that made Kurt feel worshipped. And then Blaine was lowering himself down, and all of Kurt’s thoughts were lost to feelings of hot-tight-perfect and Blaine’s gaze holding his. They moved together, beginning steady and slow and building toward fast and frenzied. Blaine leaned down and Kurt shifted up onto his elbows so that they could kiss, their rhythm sloppy and yet somehow perfect. Knowing he wouldn’t last much longer, Kurt reached down to stroke Blaine’s cock. Blaine gasped but kept moving.  
  
  
“Come on, baby,” Kurt said, lying back so that he could lift his free hand to touch Blaine’s cheek. “Let go.”  
  
  
“You too,” Blaine said, taking Kurt’s hand and slotting their fingers together. He steadied their pace to deep and slow with what looked like the last of his restraint. “So good, for you – with you.”  
  
  
Kurt focused on the pleasure building up inside him and the way the look in Blaine’s eyes mirrored how good he felt. The intensity of the moment - sensation melding with emotion - overwhelmed him, and Kurt came first, his muscles tensing and then relaxing in utter release. Luckily, he had the presence of mind to keep touching Blaine, who was whimpering just a little with every stroke. It was almost too much, the way Blaine felt around and over him, but Kurt let Blaine lead until he came a moment later with a low moan. Even as sensitive as he now was, Kurt loved feeling Blaine tighten around him and watching Blaine’s back arch with his release.  
  
  
Blaine sank down into Kurt’s arms, spent, and Kurt gently pulled out, careful not to jostle Blaine too much. Kurt ran his hands up and down Blaine’s back, not ready to move much just yet. Blaine was curled against Kurt’s chest, and an errant curl tickled at Kurt’s nose, but he didn’t care. Blaine felt warm and sweaty and delicious against him, and he felt like he could stay right there in the moment forever.  
  
  
Eventually, Blaine shifted to look up at Kurt with a sweet smile. Their lips met in a kiss, deep and infused with affection.  
  
  
“I love you,” Blaine said when they came up for air. “And I love getting to say so.”  
  
  
“Been keeping that to yourself for a while?” Kurt asked playfully, knowing full well that he’d been doing the same.  
  
  
“Well, I figured throwing myself at your feet after a week or two and begging you to let me love you wouldn’t have gone over that well…” Blaine grinned.  
  
  
“Maybe not. But I do love you,” Kurt said more seriously, hugging Blaine close. “We’re so lucky.”  
  
  
“We are lucky, but also a little bit gross,” Blaine said, laughing as he wrinkled his nose. “Shower?”  
  
  
“Sounds perfect,” Kurt agreed, leaning up for one more kiss.  
  
  
All in all, Kurt thought as they untangled themselves and headed for the bathroom, it had turned into a pretty amazing night. Without Blaine, his night would have been stress and obsessive worry. With Blaine, everything – including a difficult evening – was so much better. He vowed to enjoy it, and to be grateful for everything he now had. He wouldn’t worry about the show again, at least until morning came.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final three couples are about to be announced, and emotions are running high for all the competitors.

 

 

“Well don’t you look relaxed,” Kim said to Kurt the next afternoon, smirking up at him from where she was stretching on the studio floor.  
  
  
“And so what if I am?” Kurt replied, not bothering to hide his grin. “You’ll definitely benefit if I’m in a good mood.”  
  
  
“Valid point.” Kim smiled. “Remind me to thank your adorable boy toy later.”  
  
  
“Really, you should be thanking me. I’m the one who said it first.”  
  
  
“The big L word? You didn’t!” Kim scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around Kurt’s neck. When she started jumping up and down and squealing, Kurt shot her his best ‘I’m judging you’ look. “What? It’s exciting! My baby boys are in looooooove…”  
  
  
“You’re a lunatic,” Kurt said, smiling in spite of himself. “But yeah, it is exciting.”  
  
  
“Do I get all the details?”  
  
  
“Some,” Kurt said. When Kim looked entirely too enthusiastic, he added, “Not the dirty kind.”  
  
  
“Party pooper.” Kim pouted.  
  
  
“Every party needs one,” Kurt shot back, laughing at her. And then, because he was nice and he liked her, he spent the next half hour telling her way more about his night than he should have. He might live to regret that lapse in judgment, but he felt so great that he couldn’t bring himself to care.  
  
  
They ran briefly through the two dances they’d performed the night before, just in case they were called on to perform again. Kurt suspected that Blaine and Bitsy’s foxtrot would get that honor, which he really didn’t mind in the least. Another opportunity to watch his dashing boyfriend – his boyfriend who  _loved_ him – shine on the ballroom floor could never be a bad thing.  
  
  
It wasn’t until they got to the stage for dress rehearsal that Kurt’s nerves made a full reappearance. As he stood on stage under the lights, Kim’s hand held loosely in his, he began to replay the previous night’s performances in his mind. He didn’t like what he saw. Blaine and Santana were both powerful, gifted performers who’d had an incredible night. He would be shocked if either of them even landed in the bottom two, much less were sent home. So that left him and Kim against Puck and Lacey. Technically, Kurt knew that he and Kim were better dancers, but on a show like this, that didn’t always matter all that much. Viewers could be fickle, and one rough night could bring an otherwise excellent season to an early end.  
  
  
“You’re stressing. I can tell.” Blaine walked over and ran a hand down Kurt’s arm as rehearsal wrapped up.  
  
  
“I know. Not much I can do about it, though,” Kurt replied, giving him a wan smile.  
  
  
“Other than remember that you’re amazing and I love you,” Blaine said sweetly. He held onto Kurt’s hand as they began walking back toward the trailers.  
  
  
“Stop that,” Kurt said, smiling helplessly at him. “You’re going to ruin my stressed out perfectionist rep.”  
  
  
“I do what I can,” Blaine replied, tugging Kurt out of the main hallway so he could lean in for a soft kiss. His hands moved up Kurt’s arms and settled on his shoulders, holding him in place.  
  
  
“This competition matters so much to me this year – maybe too much. Me stressing is inevitable,” Kurt said, settling closer to Blaine. “But you help a lot. I really do love you.”  
  
  
“Best feeling ever,” Blaine said, grinning.  
  
  
“Being loved?”  
  
  
“Being in love. Together.” Blaine kissed Kurt again, quick and sweet. “I know the show is intense right now, but no matter what happens, I’m always going to be grateful for it. I got you out of the whole thing. That’s a pretty wonderful deal.”  
  
  
“You’re unnecessarily good at romance. You know that, right?” Kurt asked Blaine. He could feel a bit of the tension from rehearsal receding, at least for the moment.  
  
  
“You make it easy. You make me want to do everything right,” Blaine said earnestly.  
  
  
“If I manage to win this thing, you’re going to be incredibly gracious and perfect, aren’t you?” Kurt really didn’t expect anything less. Blaine was practically the definition of a gentleman.  
  
  
“Like you won’t if I win?” Blaine asked. Kurt thought about it and was surprised to realize that even his own disappointment wouldn’t make him less excited for Blaine. Blaine smiled at his expression and continued. “You’re a good man, Kurt. You’re kind and smart and dedicated and hard-working, not to mention gorgeous and talented.”  
  
  
“And you’re a flatterer,” Kurt quipped, but then his expression softened. He kissed Blaine’s cheek and then his temple. “Thank you. It means a lot that you think that of me. And for the record, you’re all those things and more.”  
  
  
Kurt kissed Blaine again, loving how perfectly Blaine fit in his arms. They held each other close there in the hallway, their cheeks pressed together, until Kim came by and threw herself unceremoniously into their embrace. She wormed her way between them, demanding a hug, and then she steered them toward craft services, where she forced an early dinner on them both as though they were her children.  
  
  
“I’ve been successfully feeding myself for several decades now, you know,” Kurt grumbled as Kim piled more vegetables onto his salad.  
  
  
“Mmhm. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use a little extra help every now and again,” Kim said. She bustled around for a few minutes more, getting drinks and napkins, before finally settling across the table from Kurt and Blaine.  
  
  
“So you’re stress-mothering, and he’s just straight up stressing,” Blaine commented, indicating Kurt with a tilt of his head. He smiled sympathetically at both Kim and Kurt and took a bite of his sandwich. “God, this chicken is delicious! What does Shannon put in it?”  
  
  
“No one knows, but we’re all grateful,” Kurt said. He looked at Blaine expectantly until Blaine took the hint and gave him a bite.  
  
  
“And I’m grateful to see you both eating,” Kim said. “Call it what you will, but I always feel better when the people I love are well taken care of.”  
  
  
“Why do I get the feeling that tonight’s going to be kind of rough?” Blaine asked, looking between Kim and Kurt again.  
  
  
“Because it’s going to be awful,” Kurt said. “I haven’t been through it before, but I’ve seen how crazy it makes everyone. Maks says even the actual final is less stressful than this show. And the producers draw it all out to the last second, so we still have a few hours of torture to go.”  
  
  
“Oh, sign me up,” Kim said, trying for sarcastic but only managing anxious. She propped her chin on her hand and stared down at her plate, looking more nervous and dejected that Kurt had ever seen her. She was always the positive one, managing to keep him from slipping too far into the doom and gloom scenarios in his head. But now it seemed like even her usual resilience was being tested.  
  
  
“This is really getting to you, isn’t it?” Kurt asked her quietly, reaching out to touch her arm. Next to him, Blaine made a sympathetic noise and did the same.  
  
  
“More than I expected, actually. I just…we’ve worked our asses off, and we deserve to be in that final. I hate that we don’t have control over whether that happens or not,” Kim said fiercely.  
  
  
“Oh, do I hear you on that one,” Kurt said, settling his chin on his hand to mirror Kim. Blaine glanced worriedly between the two of them.  
  
  
“Are you sure you’re going to survive this?” Blaine asked, looking like he couldn’t decide who to comfort first.  
  
  
“I’m sure we’ll manage.” Kurt shrugged. His eyes met Kim’s across the table, and they shared a resigned look and a smile. “It has to be done.”  
  
  
“Ok,” Blaine said, but he didn’t look convinced. “For what it’s worth, it would be a travesty if you didn’t make it. And I’m not even saying that because I’m biased. It’s just the truth.”  
  
  
Kim laughed a little and thanked him, and then went back to picking at her dinner. Kurt leaned into Blaine’s side to soak up some of the comfort he offered and focused on his dinner as well, knowing that he’d be grateful for the energy later. It was going to be a long night, and probably a tough one. Kurt would take his comfort and strength where and when he could find it.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The rest of the evening leading up to the live show was an exercise in patience and stress management, neither of which were Kurt’s strengths. By the time they finally made it to the ballroom, Kurt was a mass of nerves and emotions, held tightly in place by a professional smile and a death grip on Kim’s hand. Kim, for her part, was squeezing back just as hard, her smile almost manic in its intensity. For her sake, Kurt coaxed them both through a series of deep breaths while Tom opened the show, which helped a tiny bit.  
  
  
The four couples remaining were under spotlights on stage, evenly spaced so that their pools of light didn’t overlap. It always felt to Kurt like each couple was an island unto themselves during results shows, each person left out to sink or swim with only their partner for company. The staging made the competition more stark, and it always served to make Kurt straighten his spine and brace for the worst.  
  
  
This early in the show, no results would be announced, but the couples had to stay put while Tom recapped the previous night’s performances. Then, as Kurt had expected, Blaine and Bitsy were asked to perform their foxtrot once again, and the other three couples hurried up to the Celebraquarium to watch.  
  
  
Out on the balcony, Santana paced back and forth, muttering to herself, while Maks leaned insouciantly against the back wall and watched her go. Maks had told Kurt earlier that day that, at this point in his career, he no longer felt the need to stress about whether or not he won. Kurt could only imagine what that sort of relaxed attitude must feel like.  
  
  
On the other side of the balcony, Puck sat hunched forward, his elbows on his knees, while Lacey leaned against his back and talked quietly to him. Kurt hadn’t gotten to know Puck that well, but he seemed like a pretty fierce competitor with a wild side. He was a perfect match for Lacey, who could handle a strong personality with humor and charm.  
  
  
Kurt leaned against the railing, Kim at his side, and silently marveled at how the scene before him was at once familiar and different. Twenty-four hours before, he’d been in the same spot, watching the same routine, feeling so much for the man on the dance floor below him. But since then, those feelings had been named and reciprocated in the most wonderful way possible. Kurt watched Blaine now as a man in love, and the secret glances Blaine threw his way reminded him that he was loved in return.  
  
  
“My god, look at that dopey smile.” Santana came to a stop at Kurt’s shoulder and scowled down at the ballroom floor. “You’d almost think Pocket Gay liked all those ladyparts he’s swinging around.”  
  
  
“Ah, Santana – tasteful as ever,” Kurt replied, not turning his gaze away from Blaine and Bitsy. “You seem tense.”  
  
  
“You think?” Santana scoffed. “Like you’re any better. If you weren’t so head over prissy heels for Curlytop down there, you’d probably be just as bitchy as I am right now.”  
  
  
Kurt inclined his head in acknowledgement but didn’t say anything. Santana took a deep breath and continued.  
  
  
“And while we’re on the topic of wee tiny Blainers, does he have to be so goddamn cheerful right now? I swear every time he looks at you we all get forced into some terrible Disney movie all about love and overcoming adversity. I’m afraid he’s going to throw on a doublet and feathered cap and burst into song any minute.”  
  
  
“You know,” Kurt said, amused in spite of himself, “the more you talk, the more convinced I am that you’re perfect for Brit. Your brains both work in the strangest ways.”  
  
  
“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Santana said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
  
“You do that,” Kurt said, and turned his full attention back to Blaine.  
  
  
Blaine was guiding Bitsy around the floor, grinning adorably and obviously having the time of his life. For a moment, Kurt envied him his relaxed enjoyment of the experience, but in the end he was taken in by the look of sheer happiness on Blaine’s face. Blaine was meant to perform; he was meant to be loved, both personally and professionally. Kurt felt privileged to be a big part of that.  
  
  
“Kurtsie,” Kim murmured, scooting in close to lean her head on his shoulder. “You know I want to win, right?”  
  
  
“Of course.” Kurt rested his cheek against her hair.  
  
  
“Even though I really want this, it wouldn’t break my heart if he managed to beat us. I mean, look at him…” Kim trailed off. Kurt could feel the curve of her smile against his shoulder.  
  
  
“I know,” Kurt replied. He really, really did.  
  



	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results show continues, and Kurt and Kim fight to stay optimistic about their chances.

 

 

“And the first couple going to the final is…Blaine and Elizabeth!”  
  
  
Kurt was certain he’d never forget the look of stunned joy on Blaine’s face just after Tom made that announcement. Blaine immediately looked up to the balcony where Kurt was standing, though the lights made it impossible for him to see Kurt’s face, and the moment became even more indelible in Kurt’s mind. Blaine deserved to make the final, and Kurt would get to share that with him regardless of whether he was competing against him. That was the beauty of partnership, of love. Bittersweet or not, Kurt knew it was worth it.  
  
  
Blaine was still grinning and hugging Bitsy when Tom announced that Puck and Lacey were in the bottom two, a surprise to no one. Which meant that within ten minutes’ time, Kurt would be up on stage with Kim, Santana, and Maks, waiting to hear the first part of his fate. Ten minutes after that, the two couples in the bottom would stand on stage under red spotlights. One couple would head to the finals, and the other would head home. Twenty minutes more, and Kurt would know what happened next.  
  
  
For the next eight minutes, Kurt paced the balcony, passing Santana coming the other direction every time he turned. She’d given him a grim smile the first time they’d crossed paths, but hadn’t looked up since then. Maks and Kim were standing at the railing, talking quietly as they watched the guest performer sing while Mike and Tina waltzed across the floor. Blaine and Bitsy were down in the little room just offstage, giving their post-announcement interview. Kurt figured that was for the best, since he’d probably just burst into tears if Blaine so much as patted his arm right now. His emotions were all over the place, and it was better to keep them under lock and key until he got off stage for good.  
  
  
“Kurtsie?” Kim called, making him stop his circuit of the balcony. “Time to go.”  
  
  
“Ok. Let’s do this.” Kurt took her proffered hand, holding it carefully, as though any sudden movement might break their connection. She led them down to the stage during the commercial break, pausing only to smile over at Grant in the front row. The kids were home with a babysitter, because Kim didn’t like them to be there for the stress of a results show each week.  
  
  
Up on stage, Kurt and Kim met Santana and Maks for a quick round of hugs and best wishes. Santana looked like she was about to make good on all her threats and throw up right there, but she seemed to settle a bit when Maks wrapped one arm around her shoulders and guided her to their mark.  
  
  
“You’re not going to hurl, are you?” Kim whispered, making Kurt laugh.  
  
  
“No, you?” He whispered back, securing both arms around her waist.  
  
  
“Don’t plan on it. But don’t let go, ok?” Kim leaned back against his chest and folded her arms over Kurt’s.  
  
  
“I promise,” Kurt replied, beginning to rock them gently side to side. It was a habit he thought he’d picked up his first season, until his dad had reminded him that his mother used to rock him just like that when he was upset as a kid. It was amazing what stayed in muscle memory, even after all these years.  
  
  
Kurt let his mind drift as the familiar litany of elimination began, Tom recapping their performances from the previous night before inviting the judges to say something inane about why each couple should get the chance to stay. Finally, the lights lowered and the music swelled. Then the ax fell.  
  
  
Red light flooded the space around Kurt and Kim’s feet as Tom pronounced their names, indicated that they were in the bottom two for the night. Next to them, Santana sagged in Maks’s arms before turning around for a hug.  
  
  
“Well, shit,” Kim said succinctly, once she’d turned to tuck her face in Kurt’s neck. Kurt chuckled, caught between amusement and resignation. This was exactly the position he didn’t want to be in, though he had expected it.  
  
  
“Eloquently put,” Kurt murmured into Kim’s hair, holding on tight for a minute before they were shooed offstage in favor of another guest performer.  
  
  
Backstage, Mercedes was waiting to give them both hugs and touch up Kim’s hair and makeup. She put a little extra powder on Kurt as well, muttering about how washed out and shiny that damn red light made people look. Kim kept a firm grip on Kurt’s hand, not letting go as they waited for their cue to go back on stage. Puck and Lacey showed up a minute or two later. They were both more subdued than usual, though Lacey made the rounds for hugs and Puck cracked a quick joke or two.  
  
  
Kurt could hear Tom sending them to commercial, and then the lights went down and the two couples were being ushered onstage. Puck squeezed Kurt’s shoulder as he passed, and Lacey leaned over for one more hug from Kim. Kurt stood behind Kim, his hands on her shoulders, and he took the moment before the lights came back up to search the balcony for Blaine. Blaine was at the railing, standing between Bitsy and Santana, both of whom looked to be holding his hands. He smiled warmly down at Kurt, but even at this distance, Kurt could see the worry in his eyes.  
  
  
“I think Blaine may be taking this harder than we are,” Kurt said to Kim, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
  
“That’s because we’re in active denial mode. No freaking out until there’s nothing more we can do to fix it,” Kim said firmly, reaching up to put her hand over one of Kurt’s.  
  
  
They stood, still as statues, as the lights warmed and the crowd applauded. Then Tom began to talk, and the music began to swell. Kurt’s breath caught and held, clogging his chest. He knew the rhythms of this part of the show as well as he knew the beating of his own heart; right now, neither felt familiar – both too loud and jarring to be comfortable.  
  
  
Tom was soliciting the opinions of the judges, who had kind things to say about both couples. Kim was breathing quietly, the subtle up and down motion of her shoulders a comfort under his hands. Puck and Lacey were similarly still, only the tapping of Puck’s foot giving away his anxiety. Even the crowd was almost silent, leaning forward in suspended animation, waiting for what would happen next.  
  
  
On cue, the lights shifted again, painting both couples in sharp relief against a darkened backdrop. Tom turned toward them, his expression and tone serious as he spoke the words that began the elimination:  
  
  
“Now, on this penultimate night of competition…”  
  
  
Kurt felt lightheaded with anticipation, and he gripped Kim’s shoulders more firmly, as though the contact would keep him better tethered to the earth. Without conscious thought, his gaze lifted until he locked eyes with Blaine, who was staring back with a new intensity. It was only seconds before the announcement came, but in that time, Kurt and Blaine communicated a lifetime’s worth of emotions and commitments, strengthening the bond between them to defend against whatever might come their way.  
  
  
The noise of the crowd swelled suddenly. Under Kurt’s hands, Kim’s shoulders jerked in surprise before slumping in what could be relief or dejection. Still, Kurt didn’t look away from Blaine. Blaine, whose expression changed from intensity to love to unmitigated happiness as Kurt watched. Kurt hadn’t heard a word Tom had said. Instead, he’d looked into Blaine’s eyes and known. They were safe. They’d made it. The finals were theirs.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Even once the press left, the ballroom was chaos after the show. Kurt, Bitsy, and Maks met with the judges to choose their best dance to revisit during the finale, while Kim, Blaine, and Santana got pulled away to discuss their song choices for their freestyle performances. Kurt didn’t like not having control over their freestyle song, but Kim had given him a smug grin and told him to trust her. Oddly enough, he did.  
  
  
Kurt was wandering around backstage, looking for Kim, when he heard a voice calling his name. Then Blaine was there, all smiles, pulling Kurt into a hug before he could even say hello. Crazy as it had been, Kurt hadn’t managed to be within three feet of Blaine since the show had ended, and he wanted nothing more than to grab onto Blaine and stay there forever. Judging by the force of Blaine’s grip, he felt the same way. Kurt melted into his embrace, squeezing tight before leaning back so that they could share a grin.  
  
  
“We made it, sweetheart,” Blaine said softly, his hands rubbing soothingly across Kurt’s back.  
  
  
“We did. The finale. Both of us.” Kurt had evidently used up all of his complete sentences during interviews. Luckily he didn’t care.  
  
  
“You’re already choreographing in your head, aren’t you?” Blaine asked, watching Kurt fondly.  
  
  
“Just running scenarios. I need the song to choreograph for real.” Kurt’s thoughts began to get away from him again, as he tried to imagine what Kim might have selected.  
  
  
“Don’t worry. I think you’re going to like what Kim picked,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“She told you? Oh man, I have to find her…” Kurt said, trailing off when Blaine leaned in, his eyes dark with intent.  
  
  
“In a minute,” Blaine whispered. His hands came up to frame Kurt’s face. “I need to kiss you first.”  
  
  
“You need to, hm?” Kurt said, flirting playfully.  
  
  
“Desperately.”  
  
  
Blaine’s tone was both affectionate and utterly serious. He drew Kurt closer, his hands still cradling Kurt’s jaw, and took his mouth in a lush kiss. Kurt let Blaine lead, let himself take whatever Blaine wanted to give. Blaine’s hands slid into Kurt’s hair as the kiss deepened, and a thrill ran down Kurt’s spine. He wanted kissing – kissing  _Blaine_ – to always feel like this.  
  
  
“Mmm…love you,” Blaine said, pulling back with a dazed and happy look in his eyes.  
  
  
“I love you too,” Kurt replied. He tilted his forehead against Blaine’s and grinned shamelessly. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to beat the pants off you next week, but…”  
  
  
“Sounds hot.” Blaine grinned when Kurt swatted at him half-heartedly.  
  
  
“You’re a goof,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Yes, but I’m your goof.” Blaine batted his eyelashes, which was never fair.  
  
  
“Oh c’mon, you. I need to find my partner.” Kurt planted a swift kiss on Blaine’s lips, and then grabbed his hand to lead the way down the hall.  
  
  
As delightfully distracting as Blaine was, Kurt had a winning routine to choreograph. Once he located Kim, he was diving straight into rehearsals. He didn’t plan on stopping until he had that mirrorball trophy in his grasp.  
  
  



	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rehearsals for the finale begin. Kurt checks in with his dad and then gets some unexpected inspiration.

 

 

Kurt woke early on Wednesday morning, choreography still spinning through his head from his late night strategizing session with Kim. Bitsy had kept Blaine out late as well, working on their top-secret routine, so he and Kurt hadn’t made it back to Kurt’s place until after midnight. They’d fallen asleep wrapped around one another and woke the same way, Blaine’s eyes blinking open just as Kurt began to ease himself out of bed.  
  
  
“Don’t go,” Blaine said, hooking his arm more securely around Kurt’s waist. “No sun means time to snuggle.”  
  
  
“My brain won’t shut up, though,” Kurt said apologetically. He tucked an errant curl behind Blaine’s ear and kissed his temple. “I might as well get up and choreograph. And Dad will be expecting me to call. We only got to talk for a few minutes after the show last night.”  
  
  
“Five more minutes,” Blaine replied, throwing one leg across both of Kurt’s to keep him in place. He leaned up and began placing light kisses down the side of Kurt’s neck.  
  
  
“How are you so distracting?” Kurt asked, stretching as Blaine continued kissing toward his shoulder. “That feels incredibly good.”  
  
  
“That’s the idea,” Blaine said between kisses. He’d propped himself up on one elbow and was running his free hand up and down Kurt’s side in long, soothing strokes.  
  
  
“Will you let me go if I promise to come home for dinner?” Kurt asked, pulling Blaine down for a proper kiss.  
  
  
“That’s acceptable - I’ll just pretend you’re not saying that because Kim will insist on getting home to the kids,” Blaine replied. He collapsed back onto the bed and draped one arm over his eyes.  
  
  
“Very wise. And you never know – I might not even lock myself in the guest room to work on choreography half the night.” Kurt sat up, and then lifted Blaine’s arm so he could catch his eye and grin.  
  
  
“A likely story.” Blaine shoved lightly at Kurt’s hip. “Go on; get up. I’ll even make breakfast. Can’t dance on an empty stomach!”  
  
  
They went about their morning routine, Kurt showering and dressing while Blaine wandered around the kitchen in his sweatpants, throwing things haphazardly into skillets and still somehow creating a delicious breakfast. Kurt still hadn’t figured out how he managed that.  
  
  
After they ate, Kurt called his dad and put him on speaker phone on the kitchen counter. While he and Blaine moved around one another, washing dishes and making more coffee to take to the studio, his dad went through his usual play-by-play of Monday and Tuesday night’s shows. He had some choice words for Sue and her irrational scoring system as well as Bruno and his inability to be appropriate, ever. And then he complimented Blaine on the twinkles in his foxtrot, and Blaine almost spit his coffee across the room.  
  
  
“He sounds like the Midwestern mechanic equivalent of a pageant mom when he does that, doesn’t he?” Kurt asked Blaine with a grin.  
  
  
“Hey now,” Burt said. “I was there for all your competitions and even some of your lessons. I just picked up a thing or two.”  
  
  
“And let us not forget the ill-fated attempt to learn the tango to impress Carole. And your misadventures learning the dance from the music video that shall not be named,” Kurt said. He looked over at Blaine, who was laughing silently as tears rolled down his cheeks.  
  
  
“Blaine, don’t you listen to a word he says. I’m a fine dancer, just not quite as accomplished as my smart-mouth kid,” Burt said. The laughter in his voice was clearly audible, even thousands of miles away.  
  
  
“Thanks, Dad.” Kurt rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “So when are you two getting here? And do you think you could stay at a hotel? You know how I get before big competitions.”  
  
  
“Already done. I told Carole last week there was no way I was getting in the middle of your crazy show preparations.”  
  
  
“Smart man,” Blaine said, which made Burt laugh.  
  
  
“You say as though you’re getting out of it. Nice try, dear,” Kurt said sweetly. He could hear his dad still chuckling in the background.  
  
  
“Did he get the big deer-in-the-headlights eyes like your brother does when you ask him to be a stand-in for choreography?” Burt asked.  
  
  
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Kurt said, moving across the room to kiss Blaine’s cheek. “Except he’s a much better dancer, of course.”  
  
  
“Of course,” Burt said. “And we’ll be there Friday. Thought we’d take you kids out to dinner while you still have a few days’ breathing room.”  
  
  
“Sounds great, Dad,” Kurt said, leaning against Blaine, who was slouched against the counter.  
  
  
“Blaine, you should bring that friend of yours Carole liked so much. Angie?” Burt asked.  
  
  
“Annie,” Blaine said. He looked surprised at the automatic invitation, which Kurt thought was sweet. Kurt hadn’t expected any less from his dad, though.  
  
  
“Annie, right. Well you invite Annie. And Kurt, you let Mercedes know too. Carole’ll talk to your brother and Rachel. Been a while since I got to see all you kids at once,” Burt said.  
  
  
“Ok. Email me your flight and hotel information when you get a chance. I can’t wait to see you!” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Me either. Love you, bud,” Burt said, his affection clear. “Have good rehearsals, both of you.”  
  
  
“Thanks, Burt,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“I love you too, Dad,” Kurt replied, and then moved from Blaine’s arms to turn off the phone. When he turned back around, Blaine was watching him thoughtfully.  
  
  
“They’re really inviting me to dinner, just like that?” Blaine asked.  
  
  
“Yep,” Kurt confirmed. He reached out to squeeze Blaine’s hand. “Just like that.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
Within the hour, Kurt had kissed Blaine goodbye and headed for his favorite downtown studio to work on more choreography before Kim arrived. The building only had two main rooms, so Kurt could usually be guaranteed privacy and quiet to get his work done. This morning, however, he was hit with a wall of sound the second he entered the hallway. It was low, throbbing, and melodic, and in it he thought he recognized the signature mood of one of his favorite dance partnerships.  
  
  
Sure enough, when he eased open the door and looked in, Brittany and Mike were moving across the floor, Mike throwing her up in a spin before bringing her down his body and back to her feet. Their movement together was hypnotic – fluid and yet sharp in a way Kurt could never hope to emulate. Tina always said that the way Mike and Brit thought about dance was sub-verbal, and when they didn’t have to speak to communicate, they were all the better for it.  
  
  
Kurt watched as they lost themselves in the music and one another, Brit somehow knowing that if she threw herself backwards through the air, Mike would be there to catch her. They moved apart, Mike’s floating, boneless grace playing counterpoint to Brit’s staccato precision. When they came back together, they went liquid, flowing as they inhabited one space with two heartbeats. And then they were flying, their leaps punching through the sound and making Kurt’s breath clog in his throat. They were so beautiful, so free; they were exactly what dance was meant to do.  
  
  
The music was ending, but instead of quieting, it rose in celebration. The two dancers went with it. Mike guided Brit through a series of assisted leaps and turns, pushing her higher and faster until her focus released into laughter. She threw her head back and let go of his hands, spinning freely around him. Mike stayed put, settled and waiting, letting Brit and the music swirl closer and closer. Then, at the last possible second, his arm reached out and caught her by the waist, easing her in. Brit let go, tipping backwards in his arms, the crown of her head arching toward the floor. Mike stood strong, their anchor as Brit’s manic energy and the force of the song finally ran out.  
  
  
They were still while the room descended into silence, and then Mike pulled Brit gently up to standing, cradling her close as she relaxed into his embrace. Kurt stepped back into the hall, knowing better than to intrude on such a private moment. They danced like that when words weren’t enough, reinforcing themselves through the strength of their friendship. Kurt knew how that felt – he’d done the same with each of them, with Tina, and even now with Kim more times than he could count. Sometimes, dance was the only thing that worked. He felt privileged to have witnessed it working its magic so well.  
  
  
***  
  
  
When Kim arrived to find Kurt with dreamy eyes and a nearly completed freestyle number, she just smiled and kissed his cheek. While she changed her flip flops for jazz shoes, Kurt talked her through the whole routine, skimming over the details in favor of getting her on board for the concept. They’d spend the morning perfecting the basic steps, and then that afternoon they’d be meeting Mark at a local gym’s foam pit for a quick and dirty clinic on assisted back flips.  
  
  
“You want me to throw you into the air on your head?” Kim asked. “I’ve seen the insane things Mark makes his partners do, and I’d rather not die this week, if it’s all the same to you.”  
  
  
“Oh, no,” Kurt said, grinning at her. “I’m going to throw you into the air on your head. Much more exciting.”  
  
  
“You’re insane,” Kim declared.  
  
  
“Maybe,” Kurt conceded. “But don’t you want to win?”  
  
  
“Of course!” Kim’s chin came up.  
  
  
“We’ll win on tricks that make people gasp. And a routine that’s fun and high-energy, just like you. You’ve seen enough finales to know I’m right,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Stick to your strengths. Make people like you,” Kim parroted, referencing the mantra Kurt had been repeating the previous night.  
  
  
“You’re athletic, you’re fun, and you’re so tiny you’ll fly when I flip you. They’ll love it.” Kurt said, confirming his plan in his head once again. Some hip hop, a little cha cha, and a whole lot of dramatic partnering were their keys to winning; he was sure of it.  
  
  
“Does your boyfriend know about this sadistic streak of yours?” Kim asked. “Maybe I should warn him.”  
  
  
“Oh, he has nothing to worry about from me. I’d be concerned about Bitsy, though. She seems sweet, but I don’t trust it,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Competition brings out the evil paranoia in dancers. Good to know.” Kim mimed writing a note down on a pad of paper, and Kurt stuck his tongue out at her. She grinned at him.  
  
  
“Ok, crazy lady, get over here so I can teach you some steps and we can win this thing,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Yes, sir!” Kim saluted, winked, and then jogged over to stand in front of him. Kurt thought he might need to start keeping an eye on her caffeine intake if they were going to make it through the week.  
  
  
“Take a deep breath, speed racer,” he said, taking both her hands in his. “This week’s going to be more of a marathon than a sprint. We have to pace ourselves, work our butts off, and be a team to make it happen.”  
  
  
“I know, Kurtsie,” Kim nodded seriously, and then drew him into a hug. She lifted up on her toes so that she could speak directly into his ear. “We’re going to make it happen. I want this for you. I want this for  _us_. So no worries.”  
  
  
“Thanks,” Kurt whispered, closing his eyes for a moment and letting himself sink into the comfort she offered. Sometimes, when she got like this, Kim reminded him of his mother, which made him hang on more tightly.  
  
  
They gave it another minute, and then Kurt straightened up and Kim stepped back, both of them laughing at their sudden turn from ridiculous to soppy. And then they got to work, because the competition wouldn’t win itself. They had to take it and make it theirs, starting now.  
  
  



	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine discuss future plans, and Kim and Kurt get rehearsal assistance from a less-than-helpful source.

 

 

Though he’d been good on Wednesday and had gotten home for dinner at a respectable hour, on Thursday Kurt didn’t manage to drag himself home until after eleven. Blaine was there, curled up on the couch with notebooks strewn around him as he considered the page in his hands. The sight made Kurt smile, because while Blaine sitting in his living room was no longer remarkable, it was still delightful.  
  
  
Kurt leaned over the back of the couch for a quick kiss before heading down the hall to dump his stuff and take a shower. It had been a long but productive day, and Kurt was feeling loose and empty for once. Kim had enjoyed learning the lifts more than either of them had expected, taking to flight like she was part bird. The first time he’d flipped her into the foam pit the previous afternoon, she’d giggled just like Molly and demanded that they do it again. Mark had been there to help her perfect her form, and by the time they’d moved to a regular floor, she was a gymnast using Kurt as her own personal vault.  
  
  
The other lifts were less terrifying though no less physically demanding, but they’d figured out how to make them work for the most part. Tina was coming by the studio Saturday morning to help clean up the routine, and in the meantime Kurt planned to work Kim to death reviewing details of the freestyle and their Argentine tango, which they would repeat as their first dance of the night. It wouldn’t be as fun as learning how to fly, but Kim would just have to deal.  
  
  
Kurt knew that Maks and Bitsy were doing much the same thing to their partners, so he didn’t feel too bad. Maks called regularly to gloat about his progress with Santana, but Kurt found those calls more comforting than intimidating. Usually they devolved into complaining about how little time they had to perfect way too much dancing. Blaine’s pesky ethics wouldn’t allow him to tell Kurt too much, but Kurt thought it was probably better that way. It was hard enough competing against the man he loved; he didn’t need to know enough details that he could use them against Blaine.  
  
  
Kurt did know that Bruno would be the judge visiting Blaine and Bitsy’s rehearsal the next day to offer tips, a fact that Blaine found entirely too hilarious. Len was stopping in to visit Santana and Maks, no doubt to lecture Santana on the art of being a lady, while Sue would be by to torture Kim and Kurt. The assignments didn’t surprise him in the least, which annoyed him all the more. He’d tried to get a good rant going about it at lunch, but Blaine had just looked at him, amusement warring with affection on his face, and Kurt’s righteous anger had deflated. Then Blaine had lifted Kurt’s hand and kissed the back of it before smoothly shifting their discussion to more innocuous topics. Blaine had held his hand through the rest of the meal, Kurt remembered, and he’d headed back to rehearsal feeling far happier than he’d arrived.  
  
  
Kurt went back out into the living room after his shower, planning to take full advantage of Blaine’s ability to cheer him up. Blaine had moved to a cushion on the floor in front of the couch so he could hunch over the pile of papers on the coffee table. He didn’t look up as Kurt sat on the couch behind him, leaning forward so that he could wrap his arms around Blaine’s chest and settle his chin on Blaine’s shoulder.  
  
  
“Hi, handsome,” Kurt said, smiling when Blaine turned his head for a kiss. “What are you up to?”  
  
  
“Working on the press release, actually,” Blaine said, indicating a typewritten piece of paper with heavy edits on it. “I wanted your opinion.”  
  
  
“Oh?” Kurt sat up a little, and Blaine leaned back against his leg and looked up at him.  
  
  
“I don’t necessarily want to put you right in the middle of it, but I’m not about to pretend I’m single. This is the happy medium I’m working on.” Blaine handed the paper to Kurt, his eyes big and hopeful.  
  
  
“Ok.” Kurt smiled at him, and then looked down and began to read.  
  
  
It began with a statement about how much Blaine appreciated that fans and the press had respected his desire not to speak publicly about his private life. And then it went on to talk about how, sometimes, life events happened that made it necessary to reevaluate one’s priorities.  
  
  
“You see,” it said, in such Blaine-like simple honesty that it made Kurt grin, “I’ve met someone. I’ve met someone and fallen in love and, though I’d like to continue to keep many details of my private life to myself, I think it’s only right to be honest to and about the person I love. So I’m writing today to tell you that I’m gay, and in love, and my boyfriend is the best thing to happen to me in a very long time. Who am I to keep such a wonderful thing a secret?”  
  
  
There was another paragraph after that, with contact details and the usual press release mumbo jumbo, but Kurt couldn’t be bothered to read it. Instead he put down the paper and turned fully toward Blaine so he could frame his face with his hands.  
  
  
“I love you,” Kurt said seriously, looking Blaine in the eye. “You’re the best man I know.”  
  
  
“I love you too,” Blaine said. “So it’s good?”  
  
  
“Oh it’ll do,” Kurt said impishly, leaning back again. “So will you.”  
  
  
“Ok, then. Bedtime?” Blaine scrambled to his feet and held out a hand.  
  
  
“Bedtime,” Kurt confirmed, and he put his hand in Blaine’s.  
  
  
***  
  
  
After too little sleep and not quite enough tango rehearsal the next morning, Kurt braced himself for Sue’s arrival. Kim watched him with a smirk while he paced around the studio, compulsively straightening chairs and stacking CDs. Finally, on his third circuit around the room, Kim snagged his hand and made him waltz with her a little while she hummed tunelessly in three-quarter time. It was sort of terrible, but it helped. Until the door opened, and it didn’t.  
  
  
“No wonder you two barely squeaked through last week,” Sue called as she marched into the room. “We approved one of those tasteless tangos, and you’re in here butchering a waltz.”  
  
  
“Hi, Sue,” Kurt said, sighing. Kim actually let go of his hands and went across the room to hug her. It was unclear whether he or Sue was more unsettled by that.  
  
  
“If I want human contact, I will pay for it like a civilized person, Tiny Tim,” Sue barked. She motioned for one of the guys from the camera crew that had followed her in to move a chair to the front of the room, and then sat herself in it like it was a throne. “Now show me what you’ve got before all the human emotion in here makes me want to upchuck all over Porcelain’s overpriced gym bag.”  
  
  
Neither Kurt nor Kim bothered replying, choosing instead to follow Sue’s instructions and minimize her wrath. They both turned on the intensity, blocking out Sue’s focused glare with their attention to detail. Kim was just as good as ever, fierce and precise without losing the emotive quality of her dancing. Kurt loved performing this routine with her, and they’d even had fun adding an extra lift for some dramatic flair.  
  
  
“Technically proficient,” Sue snapped once they were done and standing in front of her, still catching their breaths. “Though clearly you could use some work on your stamina, since you’re both breathing like wildebeests. Now show me the freestyle.”  
  
  
“Seriously?” Kurt asked. Usually, the judges gave a few light pointers for the standard dance and didn’t see the freestyle at all. But then again, this was Sue. She didn’t follow any rules but her own.  
  
  
“Did I stutter? Freestyle, now!” Sue produced a whistle out of nowhere and blew two sharp tones. Kurt now understood the rumors about Sue’s last assistant filing a workman’s comp claim for PTSD.  
  
  
Kim and Kurt hustled to comply and then ran haltingly through their freestyle, their lifts shakier than normal due to their overwhelming audience of one. When they finished, Sue stared at them, her nostrils flaring.  
  
  
“You remind me of baby giraffes who haven’t yet learned to walk, minus the supposedly endearing qualities of youth,” Sue said, beginning to pace in front of them and gear up for a good rant. “You think this is hard? Try performing an aerial act while passing a kidney stone the size of a grapefruit. That’s hard! Amateurs.”  
  
  
“Any constructive criticism?” Kim asked optimistically. Kurt tried to convey with only his eyes that she’d just done the equivalent of jabbing a sleeping dragon in the eye with a hot poker. Kim didn’t seem fazed.  
  
  
“Stop sleeping. You only have 77 hours and 43 minutes until performance, and you’ll need every second to turn this into something palatable. For three weeks before I performed my one-woman show for the Sultan of Brunei, I slept 87 minutes a night and ate only pickles, lemon juice, and beef jerky. He told me it was the most astounding presentation he had ever seen,” Sue said.  
  
  
“I can imagine,” Kurt said in an undertone, and Kim snorted. They both tried to look suitably chastened when Sue cleared her throat and glared at them.  
  
  
“But, since you don’t have that kind of time or my level of god-given talent, you’ll have to make do with blind luck and repetition. Repetition, repetition, repetition!” Sue’s voice grew progressively louder with each word. “Since I’ve been sent to help you, whatever you manage to scrape together will reflect – poorly – on me. Do it again!”  
  
  
Not wanting to anger her further and risk heart attacks or some sort of international incident, they did. Over and over. By the time she left and they had staggered out of the studio for lunch break, it was after 3, and their stomachs were rumbling so loudly Kurt worried that passing motorists could hear them.  
  
  
“So this is what sitting feels like,” Kim said. She’d collapsed on the nearest bench the second they got outside.  
  
  
“Uh huh.” Kurt sat down beside her, equally exhausted. “Do you think someone in this city delivers bubble baths? Because I’m not sure I can move.”  
  
  
“Your stupidly besotted boyfriend probably does,” Kim said.  
  
  
“Or your husband. Doesn’t being married mean he automatically has to fix you when you’re broken?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“Something like that. But if I call him, he’ll bring the kids. And do you really want Jake demanding that you hold him while Molly attaches herself to your knees right now?” Kim slid down so that her head was in Kurt’s lap and looked up at him.  
  
  
“God, no.” Kurt fished his cell phone out of his pocket, trying not to jostle Kim too much in the process. “I’m calling Tina and Mike. They owe me for all the times I’ve brought them food during their insane rehearsals.”  
  
  
Conveniently, Tina and Mike weren’t that far away and were happy to rescue Kim and Kurt with some fish tacos and giant lemonades. They even brought ‘pick me up’ cookies and coffee for Kurt and Kim’s next break, which Tina made them promise to take soon. They’d only be able to rehearse for another few hours anyway, because Kurt’s dad and Carole would be arriving for dinner by 7. After half an hour and far too many tacos, Kim and Kurt managed to drag themselves back into the studio.  
  
  
“No lifts,” Kurt decided. “I don’t want to drop you on your head. But let’s run footwork until it’s perfect or we have to go.”  
  
  
“We’ll get it,” Kim said firmly. “And there’s always tomorrow. No worries.”  
  
  
“Right,” Kurt said, though he didn’t really mean it. Worries were about all he could manage right now. It was going to be a long few days.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Friday night dinner, the two most important men in Kurt's life meet for the first time.

 

 

“What on  _earth_ are you wearing?” Kurt held up his hands to fend off Carole’s hug in favor of reading her shirt. She laughed and struck a pose right there in Kurt’s kitchen, hand propped on her hip.  
  
  
“Do you like it? I found them on this cute little online shop run by two teenage girls. They even made your dad a matching hat when I asked!” Carole indicated Burt, whose hat was emblazoned with the same logo, done in red and pink. Red and _pink_.  
  
  
“Please tell me that doesn’t say ‘Team Hum-dinger,’” Kurt said, finally pulling Carole in for a hug. “Please.”  
  
  
“No can do, sweetie! Isn’t it clever? ‘Hum’ for Hummel and…”  
  
  
“‘Dinger’ for Schrodinger. Yes, I get it,” Kurt said, cutting her off. “But comprehending it doesn’t excuse it.”  
  
  
“I’ve always thought couple names were sort of cute,” Carole said, still all smiles.  
  
  
“Oh, god, next thing you know, people will be calling me and Blaine something revolting like ‘Klaine,’” Kurt said, shuddering at the thought.  
  
  
“Or ‘Blurt,’” Finn chimed in, completely unhelpfully. “But hey, if they give you a couple name, that means they like you, right?”  
  
  
“Not the point, Finn!” Kurt said, finally giving up on logic and going to hug his dad.  
  
  
“Sorry, kid. I tried to stop her, but you know how she gets.” Burt chuckled. “And you have to admit, it’s pretty clever.”  
  
  
“I suppose,” Kurt offered. “And unfortunately, I know Kim and Blaine will both love it.”  
  
  
“I brought shirts for them too!” Carole said. Of course she had. There was really nothing left to say. Kurt turned to open the fridge and search out salad fixings instead.  
  
  
Thankfully, discussion turned toward dinner plans, which had grown a bit complicated when Kurt had realized that the easiest thing to do would be to host it at his place. He’d promised to let Carole and his dad handle the main meal, Annie and Blaine were bringing the wine, and Cedes would be making dessert. All Kurt had to do was salad and appetizers, which left Rachel and Finn on clean-up duty. It was a good compromise, so that no one involved in the finale had to do too much, but they also didn’t have to deal with press hassling them outside a restaurant. Kurt expected that once Blaine came out officially, they’d be dealing with more press than they could stand. He was happy to have one more night of quiet with the people he loved before that particular brand of chaos descended.  
  
  
Cedes and Rachel arrived a few minutes later in a flurry of hugs and platters and a monologue from Rachel about the songs she was rehearsing for the results show on Tuesday. All of the couples would be returning to perform in some capacity, and Rachel had been kept busy all week working on arrangements that suited their routines. Kurt managed to break into her recitation long enough to remind her not to say anything about songs and performances for Monday. He still didn’t know what the other two couples were performing, and he didn’t want to. Rachel looked affronted that he’d think she’d reveal a confidence about music, but acquiesced. Kurt and Finn shared an amused glance; no doubt they were both remembering how last season she’d spilled all the details of the finale four days before the show.  
  
  
Blaine and Annie were the last to arrive, slipping in as Kurt brought appetizers out into the living room. Rachel and Cedes got to them first, dispensing hugs and taking the bottles of wine off their hands. Kurt got to them next and gave Annie a hug. Then he turned to Blaine, who looped his arms loosely around Kurt’s waist and leaned in for a kiss, just like it was any other day.  
  
  
“Hi,” Kurt said, stepping back and taking Blaine’s hand. “You ready for this?”  
  
  
“Absolutely,” Blaine said. He beamed at Kurt, who felt himself relax. This was going to go well. Blaine was wonderful, and his dad would love him.  
  
  
As expected, Carole hugged both Blaine and Annie, exclaiming over seeing them again, and then Blaine extracted himself to shake Burt’s hand. Blaine was being his usual loveable self, with only a slight overemphasis on perfect manners that Kurt knew meant he was a little nervous. It was endearing how seriously he took meeting Kurt’s family.  
  
  
Burt and Blaine sat down next to one another on the couch, drinks in hand, while Kurt and Finn helped Carole get dinner on the table. They looked to be deep in discussion each time Kurt passed by, but they were both smiling so Kurt didn’t feel the need to interfere. Mostly, he was happy to step back and let the two most important men in his life get to know one another.  
  
  
When Kurt called everyone to the table, his dad ended up sitting next to Cedes at the far end. As it had for years, this meant that  _her_ dating life was the one under scrutiny through the first half of the meal, which suited Kurt just fine. He tuned out Rachel and Blaine, who were talking across him about musical theory, and laughed along with Annie as his dad and Carole mined the details of Cedes’ love life.  
  
  
“So this boy is into you and sequins?” Burt was asking, while Cedes hid her face behind her hands.  
  
  
“I like a man who’s not afraid to defy stereotypes,” Carole said approvingly. “When do we get to meet him?”  
  
  
“You do realize you’re not actually Cedes’ parents, right?” Kurt called down the table.  
  
  
“Since when has that stopped us?” Burt casually speared a piece of chicken on his fork and looked at Kurt with a wry grin.  
  
  
“Come by the studio tomorrow, you two,” Cedes said, obviously giving in. “We’ll be prepping for Monday, but I can take you by when Sam’s not busy.”  
  
  
“That’s my girl,” Burt said, grinning at her. Cedes rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.  
  
  
“We’ll be there,” Carole said. Then she reached for the salad bowl so she could put more vegetables on Finn’s plate.  
  
  
Burt turned his fatherly curiosity towards Annie next, asking all about her background and work and interests. Kurt figured that his dad would be back around to Blaine by dessert, so he took the brief reprieve as a chance to check in with Blaine about his day.  
  
  
“How’d rehearsal go?” Kurt asked, once he’d gotten Blaine’s attention back from Rachel. She promptly turned toward Finn and Carole to extol the virtues of a vegan lifestyle.  
  
  
“Good, I think. Though I’m assuming the producers realize that having the judges come ‘help’ isn’t actually helpful at all,” Blaine said.  
  
  
“Ratings,” Kurt agreed. “I’m still surprised they don’t do more insane things just to pull in the prized younger demographic. I’m convinced one day they’re going to dispense with costumes altogether, just for the titillation factor.”  
  
  
“Speaking of the titillation factor – and I can’t believe both of us just used that word seriously – Bruno was as insane as you expected,” Blaine said. “I had to get pretty creative to keep him from going all Dirty Dancing on me.”  
  
  
“I knew I should have gotten Bitsy that taser,” Kurt muttered. He was slightly mollified when Blaine took his hand under the table.  
  
  
“He’s a little overly enthusiastic, but he’s harmless, really. And Bitsy helped protect my virtue. You can thank her later.” Blaine grinned at him.  
  
  
“I think I will,” Kurt said. “I know it doesn’t bother you that much, but…”  
  
  
“You know what?” Blaine was suddenly bashful, looking down at the table and then up at Kurt through his lashes.  
  
  
“What?” Kurt snuck Blaine’s hand up to his lips for a quick kiss.  
  
  
“He doesn’t bother me, but I love that you care. That you even get a little jealous,” Blaine said softly. “It makes me feel loved.”  
  
  
“You are loved,” Kurt replied. He knew his smile was turning stupid around the edges, but he didn’t care. Just like he didn’t care that half the table was probably watching them right now.  
  
  
Blaine didn’t reply, but his gaze went soft and sweet. Blaine’s love was almost tangible, forming a web of comfort and safety all around him. Kurt sighed and smiled, squeezing Blaine’s hand. And when he looked up, he caught his dad watching them with a soft smile on his face. Burt winked before turning back to Carole, and Kurt knew he had his full approval.  
  
  
The rest of dinner and dessert was exactly what Kurt had hoped it would be. Afterward, while Rachel and Finn made short work of the dishes, the remaining group settled in the living room for wine and conversation. Kurt sat in one of his armchairs, Blaine settled at his feet with his cheek resting on Kurt’s knee. They fell into conversation with Kurt’s parents, planning a post-show trip so that Blaine could ‘come see Kurt’s childhood haunts,’ as Carole put it. Blaine also talked a bit about his search for a house in the area, soliciting Burt’s opinions about inspections and contractors.  
  
  
“I don’t know quite as much about houses as I do about cars, but I know enough to avoid getting swindled. If you need an opinion further along in the process, you give me a call,” Burt said, waiting for Blaine’s nod of agreement. “Just don’t let Kurt try to talk you into anything crazy, like a basement runway.”  
  
  
“I was 12, Dad – it’s time to let it go!” Kurt shook his head as Burt chuckled. “Besides, opportunities for high fashion in Lima were few and far between; can you blame me for trying?”  
  
  
“In the end, he negotiated a pretty generous clothing allowance,” Burt told Blaine, who grinned.  
  
  
“I was precocious when it came to having actual style,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“You still are. I like it,” Blaine said, tilting his head back so he could smile up at Kurt. From her spot on the couch, Carole cooed at them both. Kurt shot her a look, but she just waved him off.  
  
  
“I’m happy that you’re happy. Stop pretending that annoys you,” she said, getting up to kiss both Kurt and Blaine on the cheek. And then, proving that she was a gem among stepmothers, she began subtly maneuvering everyone toward the door so they could all get some sleep.  
  
  
At the door, after she’d sent Finn and Rachel off and had helped arrange for Cedes to drop Annie home, Carole turned back to Kurt and Blaine for one last hug each. Burt did the same, pleasing Kurt and startling Blaine just a little.  
  
  
“We’ll drop some easy meals by tomorrow when you’re out at rehearsals, and then we’ll see you Monday. I don’t want any arguments,” Burt said when Kurt started to protest. “It’s the least we can do to help you boys get through the next few days.”  
  
  
“I have your extra key,” Carole said, holding it up. “So you don’t have to worry about a thing. Just relax and rehearse.”  
  
  
“Ok, thank you,” Kurt said, because he couldn’t think of anything else. His parents always amazed him with their love and generosity. Blaine echoed him, and then they stood in the doorway and watched as Burt and Carole headed to their car.  
  
  
“Your parents are incredible,” Blaine finally said, shutting the door behind them. “They’re just so…normal.”  
  
  
“I know. It used to drive me a little crazy, how involved they were, but once I really started seeing how insane show parents could be, I was glad mine were at least doing stuff for the right reasons,” Kurt said. “I’ve known for a long time now that I’m lucky to have them.”  
  
  
“Yeah,” Blaine said, trailing off.  
  
  
He got the same sad look on his face that he had the night a few weeks back when they’d gone out for a quiet dinner and Kurt had coaxed him into talking about his family. With the exception of Cooper, who was at least trying, Blaine’s family was nothing like Kurt’s. His parents weren’t particularly supportive or parental, and Blaine had decided to disconnect from them rather than trying to force them to be what he needed. His relationship with Cooper was better than it had been, thanks mostly to Cooper’s wife and kids. But fun trips to see his niece and nephew didn’t quite make up for the years of teasing and one-upping that Blaine had endured from his brother.  
  
  
Kurt hoped that the love his parents were clearly ready to give Blaine would help take some of the sting out of that old hurt. In the meantime, Kurt pulled Blaine in for a hug and a long, sweet kiss infused with all the love Kurt could give it.  
  
  
“Want to cuddle in bed for a while?” Kurt offered when they pulled back. When Blaine nodded, Kurt led the way down the hall. He’d hold Blaine every night if it would help. Even if it didn’t, he’d keep trying just the same.  
  
  



	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt takes one last Monday morning trip to the beach, and then it's showtime.

 

 

The rest of the weekend flew by, and before Kurt was ready for it, Monday was dawning. He’d slept surprisingly well, probably because Blaine was an excellent sleep aid, and woke just before the sun, with time enough to watch Blaine come awake beside him.  
  
  
“Morning, gorgeous,” Blaine said, his voice sleep-rough and intimate. He stretched and then wrapped his arms back around Kurt, snuggling close.  
  
  
“Morning.” Kurt smiled into Blaine’s hair, and then kissed the top of his head. He thought the start of the most important day of his television career was going pretty well, all things considered.  
  
  
“You going to the beach this morning?” Blaine asked, yawning.  
  
  
“I’m planning to.” Kurt ran his fingers down Blaine’s arm, considering. “Can I meet you for breakfast after? I’d invite you along, but…”  
  
  
“Sweetheart, I get it.” Blaine shifted so he could look up at Kurt. “This is a big deal, so you do what you need to do. How about if I have breakfast ready when you get back?”  
  
  
“You’re perfect. Thank you.” Kurt kissed Blaine, grateful all over again for this wonderful man who understood him so well. “Give me an hour or two.”  
  
  
“You got it,” Blaine said, stretching out across the bed as Kurt got up. “I’m going to do my very complicated going back to sleep ritual first, though.”  
  
  
“I’ll set the alarm,” Kurt said, smiling and rolling his eyes. “See you soon.”  
  
  
Blaine mumbled something unintelligible, already well on his way back to dreamland, and Kurt slipped out of the bedroom with a change of clothes. He kept things simple, throwing on practice clothes and his favorite hooded sweatshirt from his dad’s shop. There was a time and a place for high fashion, and the beach on the morning of a show day was not it.  
  
  
Outside it was cool and overcast, the normal sunny bustle of the city muted by the weather and the hour. Kurt was happy to have the beach mostly to himself, to feel the breeze on his face and smell the tang of salt in the air. Though it chilled his feet a little, he’d taken his shoes off so he could feel the damp sand between his toes. Being barefoot on the beach grounded him, and the rhythm of the waves lapping at the shoreline soothed him in just the way he needed.  
  
  
Once he found a flat and empty stretch of sand, Kurt closed his eyes and centered himself. Instead of the darkness behind his eyelids, he saw the crowded ballroom as it would be that night. The ocean sounds became the applause of the audience, and smooth wood replaced the sand. In his mind, Kim was there, her arms in his for the tango and then right next to him as they completed their freestyle in perfect sync.  
  
  
When he opened his eyes again, he smiled ruefully into the empty air. If only winning were as simple as visualizing the best possible performance and having it be so. Kurt knew they were capable of it, but they still had to make it happen. They had to overcome the fear and the nerves; they had to rise to the occasion at precisely the moment it mattered most.  
  
  
Kurt had more faith in Kim than in any partner he’d ever had. She could do it. They could do it. All that stood between them and success was six minutes of the hardest, most complex dancing they’d ever done together.  
  
  
He walked down to the shoreline, chilling himself to the ankle in the waves as he thought about the task he’d set them. Kim had wanted to be pushed, and Kurt had been more than willing to take their performance to the next level. The lifts were more difficult, the footwork more complex than anything he’d ever tried with a non-professional. They would be moving fast, and they’d have to inject more personality into the performances than ever before.  
  
  
No one won the show with a lackluster freestyle. It had to be fast-paced and energetic, yet controlled and precise. It had to be difficult without looking hard. Most of all, it had to get the crowd on its feet and the people at home reaching for their phones to vote. Seasons could be lost from trying too hard or not hard enough. Finding the right balance took a special kind of magic. Kurt hoped that his choreography – that he and Kim – would have it.  
  
  
Kurt took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to will down the anxiety that he knew would be his constant companion for the rest of the day. He would be strong for Kim and supportive of Blaine. He would be witty on camera and polite to the judges. He would, he thought fiercely, leave his heart out on that dance floor. No one would ever be able to say that he hadn’t done everything he could to win.  
  
  
Kurt stood at the water’s edge for a few more minutes, trying to soak in the calm steadiness that the ocean offered. And when he was ready, or as close as he would ever be, he turned away and headed up the beach. It was time. He had a competition to win.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The rest of the day passed in minutes that felt like eons and hours that disappeared in seconds. Kurt’s time with Blaine felt painfully short, though they had breakfast and then drove to the studio together. At Kurt’s trailer, they said an extended goodbye. Their schedules would keep them apart for the rest of the day.  
  
  
“It’s kind of like a wedding, don’t you think?” Blaine asked, his cheeks flushed and lips red from Kurt’s kisses. “Not getting to see each other until we go on stage tonight?”  
  
  
“I suppose,” Kurt said, raising an eyebrow even while his heart gave a traitorous flutter. Blaine couldn’t just say things like that. It gave him  _ideas_.  
  
  
“Have a good day,” Blaine said, smiling like he could read Kurt’s mind. “I love you.”  
  
  
“Love you too,” Kurt said, and he pulled Blaine back in for one more kiss.  
  
  
They finally separated, Blaine heading to one more blocking check with Bitsy while Kurt met up with Kim in hair and makeup. When he got there, Kurt received the longest hug on record from Cedes, who had gone blatantly partisan and was wearing her “Team Hum-dinger” t-shirt.  
  
  
“I expect great things out of you two,” Cedes said. She was pulling Kim’s hair into a sleek ponytail that would serve as the basis for both of her looks for the evening. “Great things that include not messing up your hair and makeup for the rest of the day. With this pro dance madness they’re doing, I’m only going to have time for quick touch-ups tonight.”  
  
  
“What are they doing?” Kurt asked. “We’ve been so busy, I didn’t get to see it. All I know is what Brit babbled to me about at lunch the other day, and none of that made any sense.”  
  
  
“Did she happen to mention zombies?” Cedes asked with a smirk.  
  
  
“Yes, actually,” Kurt replied. He was still so confused.  
  
  
“Think about tonight’s theme, and then add that little tidbit. I think you’ll get there,” Cedes said, and then refused to answer any more questions while she finished with their hair.  
  
  
They didn’t have time to think about it, because they had to head immediately to the ballroom for their final stage rehearsal. Both dances looked good, if a little shaky. Kim tried to apologize, but Kurt just waved her off and reminded her that the only performances that counted would be the two they did later that night.  
  
  
They ate the world’s quickest dinner in Kim’s trailer, cutting it short so that they could spend a few precious minutes with Grant and the kids. Kurt couldn’t find it in him to stay anxious when Molly was swinging his hand back and forth with hers, talking a mile a minute about the pretty dress she’d gotten for the show and how excited she was to see ‘Mommy’s big dance.’ Jake, as usual, had immediately crawled into Kurt’s lap and tucked his head under Kurt’s chin. Kurt dared anyone to stay stressed when they had such a happy girl and cuddly boy around to cheer them up.  
  
  
Soon enough, though, it was time to send Kim’s family on their way so that she and Kurt could get into costume and sneak a few minutes with Cedes for touch-ups. With fifteen minutes left until they went live, Kim and Kurt made their way backstage to the little greenroom where they sometimes gave post-dance interviews. Santana, Maks, Blaine, and Bitsy were already there.  
  
  
“Looking good, Hummel,” Santana called, and Maks wolf-whistled. Somehow, the two of them seemed completely calm.  
  
  
“Looking…naked, Santana,” Kurt replied. Santana and Maks would be doing their samba again, and their costumes required barely a yard of fabric between them, it seemed. Maks wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Santana wasn’t wearing much of anything. Kurt could see her point about Sam not liking to dress her in actual clothes.  
  
  
“Brit likes it,” was Santana’s reply. Kurt just rolled his eyes. Of course she did. He turned toward Blaine, ready for a little sanity in his life.  
  
  
“Hey,” Blaine said. He was smiling the soft smile he reserved for Kurt, and he looked adorable in his jive outfit.  
  
  
“How is it that an outfit that would make the rest of us look like idiots makes you look like the cutest guy on the planet?” Kurt asked, reaching out for Blaine’s hand.  
  
  
“I’m just going to take that compliment and say thank you,” Blaine said. He squeezed Kurt’s hand.  
  
  
“Smart man,” Kim said. She hugged both Blaine and Bitsy, who looked a little pale. “So are you guys ready for this?”  
  
  
“I think so,” Blaine said. He settled his free arm across Bitsy’s shoulders.  
  
  
“We have to be,” Bitsy said, the fierce note in her voice impressing Kurt. He’d come to realize over the course of the season that she was a lot more than a bubbly little blonde. He hadn’t admitted it fully out loud yet, but he was starting to like her.  
  
  
“I think we’re all as ready as we’ll ever be,” Kim agreed. “Now I’d just like to get this show on the road.”  
  
  
As though Kim had cued them, a handful of pros in insane costumes and zombie makeup spilled into the room just then. Brit was in the lead, and she headed straight for Santana, who kept her at arm’s length to avoid getting smeared with multi-colored face paint. Mike and Tina weren’t far behind; Tina blew kisses to everyone rather than trying to get any closer.  
  
  
“So you’re doing Thriller?” Kurt asked, the costumes and the night’s theme clicking together in his head. “I thought it was just another one of Brit’s fever dreams.”  
  
  
“Yeah, we are. Well, mostly,” Tina said. “It’s actually a mash-up of Thriller and Heads Will Roll.”  
  
  
“Creepy, but awesome,” Mike added. “The producers wanted something that went with the MJ theme tonight. I tried to sell them on Scream, but they thought Thriller was more iconic.”  
  
  
“They’re probably right, though you’d do a killer Scream,” Blaine said, reaching out to slap Mike’s hand.  
  
  
“Thanks. This’ll be fun, though. Brit and I have been working on the choreo for a couple of weeks,” Mike said.  
  
  
“It’s amazing,” Tina confirmed. Her sunny grin was distorted by her zombie makeup. Kurt shuddered. At least they weren’t all dressed as vampires. That would have been truly awful.  
  
  
A PA stopped in a moment later to head all the zombie dancers toward the ballroom, and Kim wheedled permission for the six competitors to go up to the Celebraquarium to watch the performance. They’d have to race backstage afterwards for their official introductions, while Tom opened the show and checked in with the judges. Kurt knew it would be worth it; when Mike and Brit joined forces, their numbers were always epic.  
  
  
Sure enough, the piece was insane in the very best way. The floor of the ballroom was covered in smoke, and as the music began, the dancers rose up from the ground, their silhouettes stark and eerie. They hung there, swaying in time to the music, while one dancer launched himself out of the crowd into a forward roll, coming up smoothly and flowing directly into a series of hip hop moves. Rationally, Kurt knew it was Mike, but the music, costumes, makeup, and lighting combined to make him seem otherworldly.  
  
  
The other dancers began moving behind him, stalking forward, their heads lolling on their necks grotesquely. Next to Kurt, Kim shivered, but she was grinning widely. Judging by the screams and cheers coming from the crowd below them, everyone in the ballroom was enjoying the performance as much as she was. Down on the floor, the dancers launched into the chorus, a long partnering and lift sequence that most closely resembled a cha cha. Then they split apart, individual couples taking their turns to whirl through the mist as the second verse began.  
  
  
“How do they do that?” Blaine asked from Kurt’s other side, his eyes wide and focused on Mike and Brit as they moved.  
  
  
Blaine’s voice was so full of wonder that Kurt wanted to wrap an arm around his waist and hug him close. But they were in public now. That sort of affection would have to wait until they were alone, or at least until next week, when the world would know about them.  
  
  
“Years of practice. And some sort of pact with the devil, I think,” Kurt said, smiling over at Blaine instead of reaching out.  
  
  
Blaine grinned back before focusing again on the dancers below them. Kurt followed suit, watching with an appreciative eye as the performance rose to its crescendo. Mike stalked his way through the smoke, slowly gathering the other dancers behind him, and then broke into some of the original Thriller choreography. Brit and Tina were right behind him, their every movement sharp and yet deliciously undead. Kurt was a little jealous that he hadn’t gotten to perform this one with them.  
  
  
The crowd roared its approval, everyone coming to their feet even as the dancers sank back down into the mist at the end. And then they were up and bowing, and Kim was grabbing Kurt’s hand to race for backstage. As they hurried along a little-used corridor, Kurt fought to come back to himself. The performance had been amazing, but now it was time to compete.  
  
  
Kim and Kurt arrived at the top of the stairs for their entrance with seconds to spare. Cedes was there to give them each a once-over and an encouraging grin. Once she stepped back to fuss with Blaine and Bitsy, Kurt took Kim’s hand and drew her arm through his. Like they did every week, they each took a deep breath and smiled at one another.  
  
  
“This is it,” Kim said, her smile wide and her eyes a little teary. And then, “I love you.”  
  
  
“I love you too,” Kurt replied. He lifted her hand from the crook of his elbow to brush a quick kiss across her fingertips. “Get ready to shine.”  
  
  
They took one more steadying breath, their eyes locked. The announcer intoned their names, and the curtains parted before them. Together, they stepped into the ballroom’s light and sound.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the night of the finale, the dancing takes center stage.

 

 

Though the build up to it seemed to take forever, the finale performance show was the shortest one of the season. For Kim and Kurt, it would amount to six minutes of warm-ups, six minutes of dancing, another six minutes of judging and interviews, and some waiting around. Kurt wasn’t even that nervous, caught up as he was in the excitement of it all.  
  
  
The ballroom, always full of energy, was positively electric with anticipation. Kurt could feel it sparking all the way through the soles of his feet and tips of his fingers as he and Kim warmed up for their tango. They’d gone backstage early so they’d be able to sneak back out and watch Santana and Maks perform. After their own turn on the dance floor, they would rush to change into their freestyle costumes so they could be back to see Blaine and Bitsy’s first number. Kurt was glad Carole always recorded the show, because he knew he’d barely remember any of it the first time through.  
  
  
As expected, Santana and Maks’s samba was hot and fierce. Sue was feeling stingy, though, and only gave them a 9. Kurt thought the boos from the audience could probably be heard in the next zip code over. Even Bruno, who had drooled over the dance, looked affronted at Sue’s score. Sue, of course, just stared them all down until the ballroom quieted again.  
  
  
While that drama played out and Tom wrested control of the show back so he could send them to commercial, Kim and Kurt quickly made the rounds of the other dancers. Fortified with hugs and air kisses, they walked hand-in-hand to the stage above the main dance floor. Kurt had reoriented the dance slightly, wanting to show Kim off to the entire ballroom. So they would begin upstage center, where no one could miss how flawless she was.  
  
  
“Remember,” Kurt said, drawing Kim close as the lights flashed their thirty second warning, “Sensual, strong, connected.”  
  
  
“And in the moment,” Kim replied. “We have a story to tell.”  
  
  
“Exactly. Now up you go.” Kurt stepped behind her and lifted her smoothly overhead, the curve of her back fitting into his hands.  
  
  
The lights came up as the music began, the spotlight painting them in silhouette. Kurt took three steps down to the main floor and let Kim slide down his body and back to her feet. They began back-to-chest, Kurt curling around Kim even as she stretched an arm up to wrap around his neck. Torsos pressed together, they followed the movement of their feet around the floor. They were extensions of one another, bodies traversing the same space. And yet they were distinct, the tension between them transcribed by the rigidity of their spines and the precision of their motion.  
  
  
The dance unfolded exactly as Kurt had envisioned, their story – of strength, of love, of passion - told through partnership and the magic alchemy that only unfolded when they stepped out in front of an eager crowd. Kim was somehow both earthy and ethereal, flying lightly when Kurt lifted her and inhabiting her body solidly as they moved in tandem. The push and pull – the give and take – came so naturally to them now. They loved dancing together, and it showed.  
  
  
The music drew to an end, the resolution of chords mirrored in the way they clung to one another, reunited. Applause rose around them, and they held on for another moment, smiles replacing their tense expressions of concentration.  
  
  
“One more to go,” Kim whispered, her fingers tightening around Kurt’s.  
  
  
“You’ll be brilliant,” he whispered back. “You already are.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
To no one’s surprise, Kim and Kurt’s tango scored three perfect 10s. Even Sue couldn’t find any major faults. Kurt thought she might have even smiled approvingly at them for a second as they turned to go. They didn’t get to enjoy that little victory for long, though, because the second the cameras were off them, they were sprinting for the dressing room.  
  
  
Four minutes later they stood, winded, at the balcony. Cedes was going to have to fix their hair during the next commercial break, but they were clothed and presentable in time to see Blaine and Bitsy charm the ballroom with their jive. Kurt reached over to twine his fingers with Kim’s, grinning hard as he watched Blaine strike a pose opposite Bitsy in the middle of the floor.  
  
  
They were wonderful as always – bright, cheerful, and energetic without tipping over into manic or saccharine. A glance around the ballroom was enough to show Kurt that the entire place was in love with them; people were on their feet, smiling and clapping along. On the floor, Blaine and Bitsy moved fast, turning through flicks and kicks with easy efficiency and panache. Kurt gave in to the impulse to watch Blaine’s face instead of his feet, and he was instantly captivated by Blaine’s giant grin.  
  
  
“That boy is made of sunshine,” Kim commented, tucking herself in against Kurt’s side. Kurt hummed his agreement as they watched Blaine spin Bitsy across the floor.  
  
  
“He’s having so much fun,” Kurt finally said. “It almost makes me feel bad about wanting to beat the pants off of him.”  
  
  
“Oh, honey, you just want the pants off of him,” Kim said, smirking. She poked Kurt in the side. “But yeah. I love them, and I will happily watch them go down in very adorable flames.”  
  
  
“That’s my girl,” Kurt said, grinning at her. A moment later, he joined in the audience’s enthusiastic applause for Blaine and Bitsy. The noise almost drowned out Kim’s evil giggles. It sounded like she would enjoy taking them down a little too much.  
  
  
Kurt and Kim would have stayed to watch the judges’ comments, but Cedes beckoned to them from backstage, one hand on her hip and a frown on her face. Kurt knew better than to piss her off when she had easy access to hairspray and a curling iron, so he hurried over to her.  
  
  
“You two can’t actually be in two places at once, you know,” Cedes said, barely giving Kurt enough time to shield his face before she started spraying his hair into place. Next to them, the makeup people were painting and powdering Kim within an inch of her life.  
  
  
“I know. You’re right, Cedes,” Kurt said, trying to look suitably chastened. “But I just wanted to see…”  
  
  
“They’re going to get a perfect score. And you’re going to take your girl and go warm up properly for the most important dance of your career,” Cedes said. “I don’t want to see you back out there until Santana and Maks’ music starts up.”  
  
  
“Yes Ma’am,” Kurt replied. He heard a cheer from the ballroom and grinned. Across the room, Kim was grinning too.  
  
  
“Fierce competition,” Kim said, holding out her hand for Kurt’s. “Bring it on.”  
  
  
They ran for their favorite practice space, knowing that time was of the essence. Sure enough, they only had five minutes of warm up before a PA appeared in the doorway to let them know the next dance was starting shortly. Just as they peered around the curtain, two cellists were setting up on stage. Though Kurt hadn’t seen Santana and Maks’ rehearsal, he knew at once what Michael Jackson song they’d chosen.  
  
  
“Smooth Criminal?” Kim whispered, and Kurt nodded without taking his eyes off the ballroom below. This was bound to be interesting. He wanted to see if they could pull it off.  
  
  
The stage was backlit in red light, showing the cellists’ profiles on the otherwise empty stage. Their bows began to move, and the light behind them pulsed with the rhythm they set. On stage right, a spotlight warmed, revealing Santana, a hat pulled low over her eyes. Opposite her, Maks appeared in his own spotlight, one hand lifted high even as a hand on his hat pulled his gaze down.  
  
  
The first verse began, and they faced one another for a series of sharp, paso-inspired moves. They came together, stalking down the stairs in front of the cellists and into one another’s arms. What followed was a tour de force – a hybrid of paso doble, cha cha, and tango that displayed Santana’s strength and precision. It was a bold choice, which wasn’t surprising coming from Maks.  
  
  
As all sound dropped out and then built again toward their grand finale, Kurt could sense the entire audience holding its breath. This performance was sure to be a far cry from Blaine’s exuberance or Kim’s sass, and all the more memorable for it. The only question was how, in the viewers’ minds, it would measure up.  
  
  
Santana and Maks were in the center of the floor now, circling one another, going faster and faster. Finally, Maks took Santana’s hands and swung her out so that her feet transcribed a wide circle, her back arched and her toes barely skimming the floor. He spun her to a stop and then pulled her back up sharply in time with the final notes, dropping her in a deep dip as the music ended.  
  
  
With a gasp, the crowd reacted, and they were already on their feet applauding when Kurt and Kim headed backstage so they could make their way down to the floor. Kurt glanced at her when she squeezed his hand, but she only shrugged and gave him a considering look rather than competing to be heard over the noise. Luckily, Kurt knew exactly what she meant.  
  
  
Santana and Maks had set a high bar, but not an insurmountable one. They’d taken a risk in emphasizing technique over flash, which had been known to hurt finalists before. And while response in the ballroom had been strong, there was really no telling how fans at home would react. It didn’t exactly inspire unbridled confidence, but it didn’t make Kurt throw his hands up in despair either. They had a shot – a good one. All they had to do was dance the hell out of their freestyle.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Downstage center, in the precious few seconds before the lights came up and their music began, they breathed together. Kurt’s hands rested lightly on Kim’s shoulders, and she reached up to skim her fingertips over his. They were entirely in synch, united in their approach and attitude and goal. They would be perfect, or nothing. And they would have a damn good time while they did so.  
  
  
“Give it everything,” Kurt said, his mouth at Kim’s ear. “Show them how much it means to be here.”  
  
  
Kim nodded, her body swaying slightly under his hands.  
  
  
“Show them how hot and confident and fearless you are. Show them,” Kurt continued, “how fun a serious ass-kicking can be.”  
  
  
He couldn’t see it, but he knew from the way her shoulders straightened and then relaxed that she was grinning. He grinned too. They were finally here, at the moment it felt like he’d waited a lifetime for. It was time.  
  
  
Smoke filled the air, the lights rose, and the opening base notes of Bad throbbed behind them. They tripped forward together, shoulders rolling, and then shimmied in opposite directions in a move Kurt had lifted from Michael Jackson’s choreography. He’d figured a nod to the original could only help them.  
  
  
They swung through some quick and sharp cha cha steps, incorporating extra turns and small lifts to keep things interesting. When the first chorus hit, Kim took the lead on some adorable hip hop moves which earned whoops from the audience. She looked like she was having the time of her life. Kurt knew for sure that he was.  
  
  
Kurt had designed the dance to get harder and more spectacular as it went on, building the energy and excitement all the way to the end. This meant that neither of them could let down their focus, or Kim might fall on her face. Luckily, it seemed like the mood of the room and their own happy intensity was pulling them through. Kim practically ran toward him for the backflip, planting her foot in his hands and then soaring up and over even higher than they had practiced. The entire room gasped, and Kim threw her head back and laughed even as she turned into Kurt for their next step.  
  
  
One more section of partnering, all fast turns and complicated footwork, and then it was time for their final lift. Kim braced her hands against Kurt’s shoulders while he lifted her overhead by the hips until she was almost perpendicular to the floor over his head. Once she was balanced, he spun them twice and then swung her back down and into his arms. She kicked her feet, still grinning wildly, and hopped down. They joined hands and ran for the judges table, where they popped up and sat down, their arms falling around one another just as the final notes sounded.  
  
  
The audience went nuts. There was no other way to describe it. Kurt couldn’t hear Kim, who ended up having to mime to him that she wanted to go over to hug Grant and the kids. Jake latched onto Kurt like a vine, and Molly wouldn’t stop jumping up and down while holding onto Kim’s hand, so Tom finally gave up and ushered all four of them over to hear what the judges had to say. Kurt had the shock of his life when he looked up at the judges’ table and saw Sue smiling down at them.  
  
  
Tom asked Bruno and Len to speak first, and they both had great things to say. Bruno managed to tone down his usual innuendo because of the children, and Len grinned and said their dance would have made Michael Jackson proud. Then everyone turned to Sue expectantly.  
  
  
“I knew you could do it,” she said, nodding decisively. “Just like that time I shot a dancer out of a cannon. She was perfectly fine. And the head injury was really nothing to write home about.”  
  
  
Kurt and Kim stared at her, not quite sure how to react.  
  
  
“You were good, you idiots!” Sue shouted, waving them off. “I don’t hate you; go celebrate.”  
  
  
The crowd began cheering again, obviously recognizing the Sue seal of approval when they heard it. Kurt turned to catch Kim’s eye, and they both started giggling, which caused both kids to crack up too. Kurt tickled Jake’s sides for good measure as they walked back to Grant, not wanting Jake to think about Sue’s particular brand of crazy any longer than he had to.  
  
  
“You and Mommy were awesome,” Jake said solemnly when Kurt put him back in his seat. “You’re going to win.”  
  
  
“From your mouth to the voting public’s ear,” Kurt replied, ruffling Jake’s hair. He kissed the tops of both kids’ heads, shared a high five with Grant, and then turned to take Kim’s outstretched hands. She was vibrating with energy and nearly pulled his arm out of its socket as she dragged him up the stairs for their scores.  
  
  
Kurt kept a firm hold on both Kim’s hands as they waited for the scores. He knew Blaine was somewhere nearby, but he didn’t dare look for him – one sweet glance from Blaine, and Kurt would probably turn into a blubbering pile of mush. He also didn’t think it would be fair if he distracted Blaine right before his freestyle.  
  
  
A cheer went up from the crowd as the judges gave their scores, each one revealing his or her 10 paddle with a flourish. Kim squealed in Kurt’s ear and dove for him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. They were both grinning foolishly as he swung her in circles, nearly hitting Santana and Maks and the camera crew. Kurt didn’t care, though. They’d done it – a perfect score for the night.  
  
  
***  
  
  
When he finally put Kim down, the commercial break was almost over. Santana waved them over to seats on the balcony, looping her arm through Kurt’s when he sat next to her.  
  
  
“I figure I better restrain you from leaping over the railing and declaring your undying love to the pipsqueak once he’s done charming the ballroom,” Santana said, but she was smiling.  
  
  
“I can always count on you,” Kurt said dryly. He patted her hand, and then looped his free arm around Kim’s shoulders. “He wouldn’t tell me a thing about this dance, so I can’t wait to see it.”  
  
  
Both women smiled at him, and he remembered that they at least knew the song Blaine had picked. Kurt was all for surprises, but that just wasn’t fair. At least now the wait was finally over.  
  
  
Blaine and Bitsy’s rehearsal package wrapped up on the screens flanking the stage, and the whole room went dark, then sparkly. Kurt laughed delightedly as he watched tiny lights flit all over the dance floor, finally resolving into a spotlight at center stage. Blaine was there, in a black fedora and sparkly jacket, grinning and snapping his fingers to the familiar opening riff of Black or White.  
  
  
“He wanted to do Man in the Mirror,” Kim whispered, leaning into Kurt. “But I told him there’s obvious, and then there’s _obvious_.”  
  
  
“And I told him it was too bad the theme wasn’t disco – he could have gone right for It’s Raining Men,” Santana said, grinning wickedly. Kurt just shook his head and motioned to both of them to hush and watch the performance. They could discuss Blaine’s apparent weakness for making dramatic pronouncements in overly-public forums later.  
  
  
Down on the floor, Blaine and Bitsy were swinging straight into their freestyle, pulling off some sort of cha cha and jive fusion that wouldn’t have worked for anyone else. They were sexy and sassy and fun, engaging the whole crowd and keeping the energy high.  
  
  
Blaine flipped Bitsy over his back, earning delighted gasps from the audience, and then they slid right into some old school hip hop. They’d managed to retain the flavor of Michael Jackson’s original while making it wholly their own. They were going to be tough to beat, but at the moment Kurt was too busy enjoying Blaine’s performance to care.  
  
  
The music shifted, and Bitsy backed up to give Blaine the floor. On either side of Kurt, Kim and Santana inhaled sharply as they watched. Kim was the first to recover.  
  
  
“I’m sorry. Is your boyfriend  _break dancing_?” Kim asked.  
  
  
“It looks that way, yes,” Kurt said, mouth agape.  
  
  
“Oh my god the hobbit is my favorite!” Santana crowed, cracking up as Blaine spun around on the floor. “He has no shame.”  
  
  
“Not really,” Kurt said, shaking his head and laughing helplessly.  
  
  
“It’s kind of amazing,” Kim said. “Ridiculous, but amazing.”  
  
  
Kurt nodded sagely in agreement, his eyes still tracking Blaine’s progress across the floor. He was back with Bitsy now, finishing out the dance with some flashy partnering. They let go briefly, practically skipping around the floor in opposite directions, getting the audience to clap along. Then Blaine caught Bitsy for a final lift and spin before they stumbled dramatically back toward the stairs and ended draped across them with their hands clasped.  
  
  
Kurt, Santana, and Kim joined in the enthusiastic cheering as Blaine and Bitsy listened to the judges’ comments and received their scores, another set of perfect 10s. As the six contestants were hustled back down the stairs for the end of the show, Blaine caught Kurt’s eye and squeezed his hand briefly. Kurt smiled back at him, trying to impart all his pride, gratitude, excitement, and nerves with a single glance.  
  
  
It was going to be a long night and an even longer day as they waited for the next night’s final results. Kurt was grateful that they – Kim, their families, and most of all, Blaine – would all be going through it together.  
  



	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The six finalists have survived the final performance show, and now Blaine and Santana are up to something.

 

 

Three hours after the performance show ended, the studio was empty of crew and fans and press. The only people left in the building were the six finalists, who were clustered around the remnants of a celebratory cheesecake in the middle of one of the practice rooms.  
  
  
Kurt had made the mistake of eating two pieces by himself and was stretched out on his back with his head in Blaine’s lap, feeling drowsy and overly full. Blaine was propped against a pillar, one hand in Kurt’s hair and the other draped loosely over Bitsy’s shoulders. Kim, who was sitting across from them, kept grinning and snapping pictures which they’d made her swear wouldn’t find their way to any form of social media. Next to her, Santana had given up on utensils and was suggestively nibbling cheesecake off her fingers, while Maks made inappropriate comments and dodged the elbow she kept aiming at his midsection. It was the most relaxed any of them had been for at least a week.  
  
  
“So,” Blaine said, loud enough to be get Santana and Maks’ attention. “Last show tomorrow night.”  
  
  
“Yep,” Santana agreed. She sounded too casual. Kurt looked up in time to see the grins she and Blaine exchanged.  
  
  
“What are you two up to?” Kim asked, sounding more excited than suspicious. Kurt still hadn’t managed to teach her that Santana’s ideas were inherently suspect.  
  
  
“Just a little something,” Blaine demurred, but Santana waved him off.  
  
  
“We’re going out with a bang, bitches. And you’re all going to help,” she announced. “Wee tiny Blainers and I want our chance to perform, and we figure you should all be in on it. So we’ve been working on a mash-up. We’d have liked it to be all three of the finalists, but since Kimmy here sounds like a cat being thrown off a building when she sings, that’s out. You’ll all just have to dance while we sound pretty.”  
  
  
“Brit and Mike already figured out choreography and taught the group sections to the other pros,” Blaine said. Kurt couldn’t decide whether the planning time they’d put into this idea made it better or worse.  
  
  
“Wait…you want me to learn something new by tomorrow?” Kim asked, finally sounding appropriately concerned.  
  
  
“Well, Brit said a rumba would work, so we thought you could mostly use your rumba choreography from a few weeks ago?” Blaine said, though it sounded more like a question. He blinked a few times, his eyes wide and beseeching as he looked between Kim and Kurt.  
  
  
“Remind me to never again leave you two alone in the same room,” Kurt said as he sat up. He stared down both Santana and Blaine; Santana laughed at him, and Blaine kept blinking until Kurt gave up and leaned over for a kiss. Then he looked at Kim. “It’ll work if you want to do it. We just need the music, some practice space, and an hour or two.”  
  
  
“Well, hell. Why not?” Kim grinned when Blaine cheered at her response. Kurt just rolled his eyes and got up so he could pull Kim to her feet.  
  
  
“Ok, then. No more cheesecake, people. Apparently we have work to do,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Brits’ll meet you in the little practice room to fill you in,” Santana told them, clearly thrilled to be getting her way. “Mike’s bringing the rest of the crew to the big practice space to rehearse with Maks and Elizabeth in a few, and Blainers and I will meet all of you on stage at 11.”  
  
  
Santana marched out of the room, obviously expecting Blaine to follow her. The rest of them took their time getting up and gathering their stuff. Kim was still bounding around excitedly, which made Kurt smile. He started toward her, planning to corral her toward their practice room, but Blaine caught his elbow before he could get very far.  
  
  
“Hey,” Blaine said, his hand sliding down Kurt’s arm to link their fingers together. “Thanks for playing along. Sorry I didn’t tell you, but Santana…”  
  
  
“But Santana,” Kurt confirmed, reaching out with his free hand to cup Blaine’s cheek. “It’s ok. I don’t really mind. One more chance to dance with Kim, while you sing for us?”  
  
  
“For you,” Blaine said quietly, stepping closer. “Always for you.”  
  
  
“Love you,” Kurt murmured back, because there was no other response. He leaned in to take the kiss Blaine was offering.  
  
  
Blaine hummed his contentment as he gathered Kurt close, his lips pressing soft and full against Kurt’s. Kurt responded in kind, letting the day’s excitement drain away into comfort and warmth and drowsy arousal. At least until Kim’s arms being flung around the both of them ruined the moment.  
  
  
“Aw, I love you both too!” she said, hopping up and down a little with her arms around them. They looked at one another, Kurt incredulous and Blaine bemused, and then turned to look at her as she continued hugging them.  
  
  
“Uh, Kim?” Kurt began, unsure quite how to express just how annoying she was being. “You know I love you, but…”  
  
  
“But not in the exchanging bodily fluids way,” Kim replied, grinning. “I remember, yes. But I hope in the ‘let’s go dance and I’ll make out with my boyfriend later’ sort of way!”  
  
  
“Oh my god,” Kurt said, dropping his forehead onto Blaine’s shoulder, which was shaking slightly from Blaine’s laughter. Kurt only looked up when he felt Kim let them go and move away. “Where did they find her?”  
  
  
“Dunno,” Blaine said, still chuckling. “In the Slightly Insane but Otherwise Endearing Celebrities catalog?”  
  
  
“Something like that,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes. He sighed and then pulled Blaine in for one more kiss. “See you in a few hours?”  
  
  
“Of course. Go dance. Oh, and Kurt?”  
  
  
Kurt had turned away to gather his things, but he looked up when Blaine called his name.  
  
  
“Yeah?” Kurt replied.  
  
  
“I love you too,” Blaine said, his smile warm and intimate, before making his way toward the door.  
  
  
Strangely enough, though it took Kurt twenty minutes to calm Kim down enough to focus on proper rumba technique, Kurt didn’t end up minding all that much. He only had to think of Blaine to make it all worthwhile.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Kurt woke late the next morning, still exhausted from the adrenaline of the night’s show combined with the impromptu rehearsal that had lasted until well after midnight. He and Blaine had fallen into bed together, content to cuddle and kiss until they both drifted off. Blaine had woken first, though; Kurt was alone in his bed and could hear quiet singing drifting in through the open bedroom door. The comfortable domesticity of the moment brought a smile to his face, momentarily keeping his nerves at bay.  
  
  
The day was going to be a long and stressful one, but Kurt knew focusing on their last-minute performance would help. Having Blaine with him would help, as it always did. And his parents were meeting them at the studio for a casual lunch, which would keep Kurt’s mind otherwise occupied for at least half an hour. Somehow, he would survive the day, and in a few hours they would all know who had won.  
  
  
“Freaking out already?” Blaine was standing in the doorway when Kurt looked up, smiling sympathetically at him.  
  
  
“Maybe a little,” Kurt admitted, getting up so he could snuggle into Blaine for a hug. “You?”  
  
  
“I was up before you, wasn’t I?” Blaine replied.  
  
  
“And we both know that doesn’t happen unless you’re thinking too hard.” Kurt stepped back and took Blaine’s hand, heading them toward the kitchen and the promise of coffee.  
  
  
“It’s just…this is the best- and worst-case scenario, don’t you think? That we’re both in the finals. It would be easier for one of us to be cheering the other on, in some ways,” Blaine said as he got down mugs.  
  
  
“A little competition is healthy, though,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“This is not a little competition. This is your job,” Blaine said, making a face. “I mean, it’s my job too, at the moment, but still.”  
  
  
“Don’t you go all noble on me now, Blaine. I know you want this as much as I do,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“But not as much as I want you,” Blaine said, in that overly-earnest and perfect way of his.  
  
  
“It’s not that sort of competition, honey,” Kurt said, putting down his coffee spoon so he could frame Blaine’s face with both hands. “You’ve got me. The only question is whether you also get a hideously tacky trophy too.”  
  
  
“A tacky trophy you want,” Blaine pointed out, running his hands up to circle Kurt’s wrists.  
  
  
“You’re allowed to want it too,” Kurt said quietly, holding Blaine’s gaze for a moment before leaning in to kiss him.  
  
  
“I know. I do,” Blaine said. “Promise it won’t come between us?”  
  
  
“Never.” Kurt smiled. Then he held up his still-empty mug. “But coffee, on the other hand. That might come between us.”  
  
  
“Ok, point taken!” Blaine laughed and turned to grab the coffee pot so he could pour some for both of them.  
  
  
“My hero,” Kurt said, fluttering his lashes for effect. He took a sip, smiled, and reached out for Blaine’s hand.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The morning and afternoon trudged along, filled with small annoyances and tiny pleasures. All the dancers endured a maddening dress rehearsal, which mostly involved being shuffled around and waiting while the producers ran through the myriad ways they could eliminate the final two couples and announce a winner. The run-through of Blaine and Santana’s number was more enjoyable, but it only made Kurt more anxious to just get on with it already.  
  
  
Finally, he and Kim headed to see Cedes, who squeezed them both tight and whispered that she’d had her whole family voting for them the night before. Cedes got them done up quickly, curling Kim’s hair into romantic waves and using most of a can of hairspray to keep Kurt’s hair from falling down while he danced.  
  
  
“Gotta look your best for your big win,” Cedes said when they thanked her. Kurt grinned and kissed her cheek before escorting Kim back to their trailers so they could put on their costumes.  
  
  
Kim appeared ten minutes later in a diaphanous white gown that shimmered when she moved. Kurt made all the appropriate noises about how gorgeous she looked, which he repeated kindly to Bitsy when they met up with her and Blaine backstage. Bitsy was also wearing white, but her skirt was shorter, with tiered ruffles that flared out when she turned. Kurt and Blaine complemented their partners, Kurt in dance-appropriate white pants and sleeveless shirt, while Blaine wore a smart white suit.  
  
  
Santana appeared next, radiant in a form-fitting gown, more silver than white, with a deep slit up one side. Blaine’s tie matched her dress, which would help them stand out as they sang surrounded by white-clad dancers.  
  
  
The group huddled together as the rest of the dancers appeared, Brit and Maks tucking in next to Santana while Mike and Tina stood behind Kurt and Kim. Santana launched into a pep talk that sounded more threatening than encouraging, but everyone just grinned back at her. This was the last night they’d get to perform together, and they were all excited.  
  
  
With only minutes to go before the show opened, the group broke up to make their final preparations. Blaine caught Kurt for a final hug and whispered ‘I love you’ before Blaine and Santana headed into the wings to get their mics. They’d be starting on stage with most of the dancers, while Kurt, Kim, Bitsy, and Maks would enter from the far end of the dance floor.  
  
  
Kurt fell into step with Bitsy as the four of them made their way down the hall to wait for their cue. She looked up curiously when he offered her his arm, but slipped her arm through his without complaint.  
  
  
“Yes?” Bitsy said, a bemused smile on her face. Kurt took a deep breath.  
  
  
“I just wanted to say that you’ve been a worthy competitor, Bits – Elizabeth,” Kurt began. “And you’ve done a wonderful job with Blaine. I’m impressed.”  
  
  
“Thanks,” Bitsy said. “You too – with Kim, I mean. And you can call me Bitsy, I suppose.”  
  
  
“Really?” Kurt stopped walking so he could look at her.  
  
  
“Really. I find it kind of endearing, actually. And I wouldn’t know who the hell you were talking about if you started calling me by my actual name.” Her smile widened when she saw his shocked expression. “I have a sense of humor, you know.”  
  
  
“Apparently,” Kurt replied, smiling back at her once he’d gotten over his initial surprise. It turned out that Bitsy was alright after all. Not that he’d be telling Blaine that. There was only so much ‘I told you so’ gloating that one relationship could stand.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The show opened with Tom narrating a long recap of the previous night’s performances as well as extended pre-recorded interviews with the three final couples and their family and friends. Even backstage, Kurt could hear the audience’s laughter when Molly and Jake were on screen talking about why their mommy and their Kurtsie should win. He squeezed Kim’s hand, and she rolled her eyes affectionately in response.  
  
  
They warmed up while the show went to commercial, wordlessly going through their usual routine one final time. They were both more relaxed than they’d been the night before, which Kurt knew would help them to dance an unforgettable rumba. Kim slid into his arms once they’d run the whole thing through, and he held her tight, his cheek pressed against her hair.  
  
  
“May I have one last dance?” Kurt whispered.  
  
  
“Always,” Kim replied, squeezing him once before letting him go. Her hand slipped into his, and she led the way to the edge of the dance floor so they could watch the start of the performance.  
  
  
All the lights in the ballroom dimmed, obscuring the movement of dancers and singers up on stage. Then Kurt heard the telltale hiss of the smoke machines, and mist began to billow across the floor. At center stage, a light warmed, revealing Santana just as she began to sing. She looked beautiful and strong standing alone in the spotlight. Kurt thought that there couldn’t be a better song for her in this moment than one that began “I came to win, to fly, to conquer, to thrive.”  
  
  
The music picked up, the band’s singers providing backup, and the stage lights came up to reveal the pro dancers. They moved in pairs down onto the floor, making room for Blaine to cross the stage and join Santana. They traded rapped and sung lines, growing more animated with one another as they reached the first chorus. Their performance was both fun and powerful, and it made Kurt grin until his face hurt.  
  
  
Maks and Bitsy took to the floor, partnering beautifully in a sensual rumba. The other dancers kept to the edges as they echoed Maks and Bitsy’s steps. Then they all cleared the floor, and it was Kim and Kurt’s turn.  
  
  
Kurt poured everything he had into his connection with Kim, wanting everyone watching to see just how much she deserved to be highlighted, to win. Kim was radiant, flowing easily through the steps, granting them weight and import while staying light on her feet. She was an ideal partner, a wonderful person. Kurt was the luckiest dancer he knew.  
  
  
Kim spun once more into his arms, and he lifted her, cradling her close. Next to them, Maks had lifted Bitsy, balancing her on one shoulder. He nodded to Kurt, and the two of them walked slowly toward the stage as the other dancers moved around them. At the steps, they put Kim and Bitsy down, and the four of them walked up to join Santana and Blaine. They turned to face the audience, all six of them now holding hands, as Santana and Blaine sang one last “I believe I can fly.”  
  
  
The applause was long and loud, rivaling anything they’d heard the night before. Everyone was on their feet and cheering, including Tom, who joined the six finalists on stage. He gave it a few minutes before he motioned for quiet and held his microphone up. Kim’s grip tightened on Kurt’s hand, and they exchanged a worried glance. This wasn’t how they’d rehearsed this moment in the show.  
  
  
“Since we have all three final couples gathered on stage right now,” Tom began, causing Kurt’s heart rate to increase, “we’d like to get right to announcing the first result of the evening.”  
  
  
The three couples glanced at each other and then back at Tom, steeling themselves for what was to come. Apparently, the third place finishers would be announced right now. There was nothing to be done but hear Tom out.  
  
  



	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results are finally in.

 

 

The first ax of the night fell with surprising speed. One minute, the six of them were standing together on the stage, the girls holding hands while their partners stood behind them, their arms propped on one another’s shoulders. In the next moment, they were only two couples, while the other pair made their way down to the floor.  
  
  
Santana and Maks were entirely gracious in their defeat, perhaps shockingly so. Santana said lovely and amusing things about her competitors, causing Kim to sniff back tears and Bitsy to wipe her eyes. Kurt and Blaine weren’t in much better shape, so when Kim handed tissues around, they were all grateful. Santana even started crying a moment later when Maks took over the mic and called her the most talented dancer he’d ever had the privilege of partnering. As they shared their final dance together, a montage of their most memorable moments played behind them. Even from the stage, Kurt could see that the antics Santana and Maks had gotten up to were making her laugh through her tears.  
  
  
Kim was the first one to Santana when they were allowed down on the floor, but Blaine wasn’t far behind. They shared a long hug, and then Santana whispered something in his ear that made Blaine tilt his head back and laugh. When it was Kurt’s turn, he quirked an eyebrow at her in question.  
  
  
“Do I want to know?” He asked her as they hugged.  
  
  
“Nope,” she affirmed, grinning as she pulled back. “Good luck tonight. You know I love the hobbit best, but you’re not so bad.”  
  
  
“Thanks, Santana,” Kurt said, feeling strangely touched. He didn’t need Santana to love him best; he was glad Blaine had her.  
  
  
The rest of the cast came charging onto the floor then, Brit in the lead. True to form, she wrapped herself around Santana and Maks, smacking kisses against their cheeks and making the audience titter and smile. Everything quickly devolved into a massive group hug as the show went to commercial, Santana and Maks and Brit in the center. It felt more celebratory than Kurt would have expected, but it was Santana. He should have known better by now than to try to predict her actions.  
  
  
Finally, Santana and Maks were ushered backstage, while the four remaining competitors were sent up to the Celebraquarium to await their fates. The normally crowded space felt weirdly empty, since all the other couples were sitting in the front two rows on the ballroom floor. The eliminated couples would be performing for the bulk of the next hour, which meant that Kurt had nothing to do but pace and watch the clock. He hated the excruciatingly slow pace of results shows on a good day, but this one was bound to be particularly painful.  
  
  
***  
  
  
For forty-five minutes, Kurt stood on the balcony with Kim on one side and Blaine and Bitsy on the other, applauding and smiling and not taking in a bit of the show happening just below him. He thought he might have stopped remembering to breathe altogether if Kim hadn’t been pinching his side periodically and reminding him.  
  
  
His mind wandered far afield, taking him back over memories he’d thought long-since buried. Those early classes and partners – never good enough for a child as determined to succeed as he had been. Dancing in the living room with his mother after he came in second at his first competition, her ridiculous antics making up for the tiny trophy and the tear streaks on his face. The months after they lost her, when dancing didn’t feel like something he’d ever do again. His dad sitting in the waiting room at the studio, arms crossed, waiting stubbornly until Kurt put on his dance shoes and went back to class. The sheer joy and accomplishment he’d felt after his first win, and his second, and his fifth. He didn’t remember each of them anymore, but he remembered how they’d felt. He wanted to feel that – the vindication, that approbation – again. He knew he was good, but knowing that would never be as powerful as having others affirm his talent as well.  
  
  
He wanted to be seen, to be acknowledged for his talent. He wanted to hold that trophy aloft, showing the dance world that he was respected as both a performer and a teacher. And he wanted it for Kim, who had worked harder than he ever could have asked. For Kim, the friend he hadn’t known he’d needed, the partner he’d never known he could have. They had done the work, together. Now it was time to reap their rewards.  
  
  
When the call finally came for them to take the floor, Kurt walked calmly down the stairs with his head held high. Beside him, Kim was smiling softly and humming a little under her breath. Her fingers tucked into his elbow like they always did, anchoring them both.  
  
  
The mirrorball trophy had pride of place in the center of the dance floor, a spotlight shining down on it. Tom stood just behind it, microphone in hand.  
  
  
Before the two couples could be shepherded into place on either side of Tom, Kim insisted on hugs all around. She went for Blaine first, squeezing him tight and kissing his cheek, and Kurt and Bitsy shared a companionable embrace. Then while Kim hugged and chatted with Bitsy, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine. They’d already said everything they needed to, so they were silent, taking in the moment together.  
  
  
Kurt stepped back and caught Blaine’s gaze before they could be pulled away by their partners. He tried to express all the love and support he could in a glance. Blaine’s little smile and lift of one shoulder told him that the message had been received. Kurt grinned back at him before they both turned to find their designated spots.  
  
  
The stage was set now for the final announcement: the lights were low, the audience was hushed, and all eyes were on the shining trophy that stood between the finalists. Kurt’s entire world narrowed to the feeling of his fingers slotted into Kim’s and held tight at her waist and the sound of Tom’s voice as he slowly intoned the final words of the season. After so many weeks and so many votes, hours of rehearsal and interviews and performance, it all came down to this.  
  
  
In the silence before the winners’ names were called, Kurt braced himself as all his doubts came rushing back at once. What he had accomplished over the past few months would never be enough, would never be perfect. They could have worked harder, done more, tried different things. Choreography, training, teaching – it could have gone so many other ways. But it hadn’t, and what was done was done. Kurt took a breath and let it out slowly, willing his mind to quiet. He pressed his cheek against Kim’s hair and felt her squeeze his hand in response.  
  
  
The waiting seemed to go on and on, the quiet thick and heavy all around them. And then it broke – with a shout, with a roar, with lights and sound and confetti falling from the sky. Kurt watched as Tom’s mouth formed the smile required to say Kim’s name, but before he could fully comprehend what was happening, before Tom could even complete his sentence, Kurt’s arms were full of Kim.  
  
  
“Oh my god,” she said as she squeezed the life out of him. “Ohmygod ohmygodohmygod.”  
  
  
Kurt started laughing, wiping his eyes as his vision went watery. And then he squeezed her back, lifting her clear off her feet.  
  
  
“Oh my god,” he echoed her. “We did it. We won.”  
  
  
The next few minutes were a happy maelstrom, which Tom and his microphone tried valiantly to corral. Kurt and Kim were enveloped by the other competitors, Maks and Mark wrestling Kurt up onto their shoulders while Mike and Brit hoisted Kim in the air. Somehow, Kim had gotten her hands on the trophy, and she passed it to Kurt over the dancers’ heads. Kurt stared at it, grinning, and then held it aloft to a surge of applause. He could see his dad in the audience, clapping and whooping and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Beside him, Carole was beaming, his dad’s handkerchief clutched tight in her clasped hands.  
  
  
At some point, the show must have gone off the air, because right after Maks and Mark put Kurt down, Finn charged toward him from his spot on stage with the band. He swung Kurt around a few times in a bear hug, only letting him go when Kurt whacked him on the shoulder and told him he couldn’t breathe. Then Rachel was there, somehow enveloping Kurt in her arms though she was half his size, and shrieking her excitement in his ear.  
  
  
From there, Kurt was passed from hug to hug, until he didn’t know how much time had passed or where on earth his partner was. Or Blaine. Blaine, who was the only person he really needed to see. But then Blaine was there, slipping right into Kurt’s arms like he’d never been anywhere else. He was smiling in that happy way that meant everything was all right. The sight of him made Kurt want to sink into his embrace and stay there for the rest of the night.  
  
  
The chaos around them receded in Kurt’s awareness, allowing him to begin to process a bit of what had just happened.  
  
  
“I won,” he said stupidly.  
  
  
“I know, sweetheart,” Blaine replied, still holding him. “I’m so proud of you.”  
  
  
They stared at one another as talk and celebration continued to swirl around them. And then Blaine took a deep breath, smiled reassuringly at Kurt, and leaned in. Kurt met him halfway for the sweetest kiss he had ever known. Blaine hummed against his mouth and took the kiss deeper, his hands warm and reassuring against Kurt’s back. Kurt didn’t think or worry; he just let himself be held. And when they pulled back far enough for him to look into Blaine’s eyes, Kurt smiled wryly.  
  
  
“That…wasn’t a press release,” Kurt said.  
  
  
“Doesn’t look that way,” Blaine agreed with a slight shrug. “But it’s going out first thing in the morning. Is that ok?”  
  
  
“So you’re just giving your fans a head start?” Kurt asked.  
  
  
“I guess so?” Blaine said, his bravado fading into worry. He took a step back and clasped his hands together. “I kind of couldn’t help myself. You were just standing here, all handsome and victorious, and I didn’t think.”  
  
  
“Sometimes thinking is overrated. I can live with it if you can,” Kurt said, reaching out for one of Blaine’s hands. “Are you ready for this?”  
  
  
“Anything with you,” Blaine said fervently. “Are you sure you want to go through this with me?”  
  
  
“Always,” Kurt said, squeezing Blaine’s hand.  
  
  
He knew coming out wasn’t an exact science, and if this was how Blaine’s affectionate subconscious wanted things to go, he wasn’t about to argue. They would get through it together, just like they’d survived the show. Which was now over. Which he’d won.  
  
  
“So I won,” he said to Blaine again.  
  
  
“I noticed,” Blaine said, grinning when Kurt tugged on his hand to bring him closer again.  
  
  
“And I seem to recall this saying,” Kurt said, leaning close to whisper into Blaine’s ear. “To the victor go the spoils.”  
  
  
“I think I’ve heard that before, yes. But…” Blaine trailed off, and then turned his head to whisper back to Kurt. “ _I was already yours_.”  
  
  
Kurt beamed at Blaine, happier than he could ever remember being. Victory and accomplishment. A supportive family and good friends. All of it made better, sweeter, because he could share it with the man he loved.  
  
  
“I love you,” Kurt said, because he could and it was true.  
  
  
“I love you too,” Blaine replied. “Now let’s go celebrate.”


	43. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What an adventure this story has been! It took me an embarrassingly long time to get here, but it's finally done. I wouldn't have gotten this far without the amazing support and beta skills of Les and Em, who are angels of enthusiasm and clarity. And I might never have dug myself out of my non-writing hole had it not been for the gentle encouragement and interest of several faithful readers (I suspect they know who they are). Thank you, all of you, for granting me your patience and the time it has taken to read my words. I hope they live up to the long wait so many of you have endured.
> 
> One last note: many years ago now I developed a habit of always writing the epilogue of my stories from the point of view of a minor or at least different character than the one used for the main story. For this story, the only option was clear from very early on. I hope you enjoy her perspective as much as I've enjoyed writing the crazy and wonderful things that come out of her mouth!

 

 

Kim managed the familiar twists and turns of the roads up into the hills with a skill born of long practice.  She’d been tracing this particular road pretty regularly for the last two years, though to her mind it was never often enough.  The kids – if the frenetic, random shouting coming from the back seat were any indication – agreed with her.  Though the noise was a little overpowering, Kim was grateful they weren’t fighting.  Now eleven and eight, her little angels had recently taken to practicing their sarcasm on one another, but neither of them had yet learned to take a joke.  It was exhausting.  She loved them, but she would be so grateful when Grant got home from his most recent tour.

 

“Time to tone it down, you two,” Kim called toward the back seat.  “If you go in at that volume, I don’t think they’ll let you stay.”

 

“They will too,” Jake said, crossing his arms and pouting.  He’d learned that particularly charming behavior from his sister.  “Kurtsie loves me best!”

 

“Nuh-uh,” Molly said, and even in the rearview mirror, Kim could tell the gleam in her eye would lead nowhere good.  “He loves Blaine best, not you.”

 

“OK, hooligans, that’s enough,” Kim said, chancing a quick glance into the backseat to give each of them a stern look.  “Molly, no need to bait your brother.  And you, Mr. Jake, do not need to start the afternoon pouting.  We’re going to Kurt and Blaine’s to have fun, after all.”

 

Both kids grumbled a little, but settled down once the car rounded the final turn and the house came into view.  The moment Kim stopped the car in the circular drive, the kids were off and running around the side of the house, aiming for the pool.  Kim could tell from the chorus of greetings she heard that the kids were in good hands.  At the very least, Tina and Mike would keep them from ending up in the water with their shoes still on.  Which was why they were allowed to babysit, and Finn most definitely was not.  

  

Kim took her time gathering her things and was saved from having to figure out how to balance the kids’ swim bags and a tray of cupcakes when Kurt came down the front steps to help.

 

“Hey, pretty lady,” he said, bending down to kiss her cheek.  “Long time, no see.”

 

“And whose fault is that, world traveler?”  Kim replied, swinging her free arm around his neck so she could leave a smacking kiss on his cheek in return.

 

“Really, you should be blaming Blaine.  He’s the one who insisted that we go on an extended vacation up until I had to be back to start training with a new partner,” Kurt said as he extricated himself and picked up the cupcakes for her.

 

“Oh, yes, how terrible for you, vacationing in some Italian villa with your handsome beau.  I really feel for you.”  Kim walked past him into the house, dropping the kids’ bags in their usual spot by the back door.

 

“It’s a hard life, but somebody has to live it,” Kurt quipped, and then he rolled his eyes when they heard a shout and a massive splash out back.  “That’ll be my handsome beau.  First one in the pool, because he’s twelve.”

 

“Which is why my eleven-year-old has a massive crush on him,” Kim agreed.

 

“Well, you know how it is with older boys,” Kurt said, opening the back door for Kim.  “They’re so very tempting.”

 

“And yours is particularly so,” Kim replied, admiring the way Blaine’s tank and swim trunks clung to him as he stood on the steps at the shallow end, throwing diving rings for Jake.  When Kurt gave her a look, she grinned at him and shrugged.  “What?  I’m married, not dead!”

 

“True,” Kurt conceded.  “And I can’t fault your taste.  Or your daughter’s.  But he is very, very mine.”

 

“Kurt?”  Something about the smug, proprietary air with which he’d said that made her wonder.  “Did I miss something significant, mister?”

 

“Not exactly,” he demurred.  “Let’s just say that some of our more nebulous plans are beginning to get more solid.”

 

“But not so solid that you’re ready to draft another press release or tell one of your best friends in the whole wide world exactly what’s up?”  Kim asked, pulling Kurt closer with a hand around his waist.

 

“You always were a quick study,” Kurt said, still smiling secretively.  And then he had the gall to remove her arm and walk away.

 

Kim watched as Kurt sauntered around the pool toward Blaine, whose playful grin softened into the loving smile she knew was reserved for Kurt.  Blaine took the time to wrap himself in a towel before sliding in under Kurt’s outstretched arm so Kurt could whisper to him.  When Blaine glanced up at Kim, winking even as he blushed, she knew for sure that something was going on.

 

As the afternoon progressed, Kim kept an eye on Kurt and Blaine almost as much as she watched her kids splash and play in the pool.  Over the course of the last three years, Molly and Jake had come to think of Kim’s former cast mates as aunts and uncles, none more so than Kurt and Blaine.  They were always happy to babysit when they had a free night and spoiled the kids rotten far more often than that.  Kim could only imagine what over-the-top gifts they’d brought back from their Italian vacation for her two little maniacs.  If they ever decided they wanted to be parents themselves, she’d have to teach them to tone that particular behavior down.

 

Which brought her back to the suspicion that had caused her to watch Kurt and Blaine all afternoon.  They were in one another’s immediate orbits almost the entire time, but that wasn’t unusual.  After three years together, they still gravitated toward one another like they’d shared their first kiss the day before.  

         

To be honest, Kim had been expecting an engagement announcement out of one or the other or both of them for the past couple of years.  But they’d surprised her – the only leaping they’d done was into home ownership, when Blaine had found the house they now lived in a couple of months after the show had ended.

 

Kim had been there the day they moved in, helping Kurt unpack the kitchen while Blaine supervised the movers who were bringing his precious new baby grand into the living room.  Blaine had gotten out of most of the unpacking that day, because he’d spent the afternoon serenading them and keeping the kids entertained with basic piano lessons.  Kurt hadn’t seemed to mind the lack of help that much, in the end.

 

Kim had also been around for their first big fight a few weeks later, when Kurt landed in her guest room overnight.  Blaine had shown up the next morning with two cups of coffee and the saddest kicked puppy expression she’d ever seen; she’d watched surreptitiously from the kitchen while they’d sat on her patio and talked it out.  She never did find out the details of that particular argument, but that wasn’t important.  They’d sorted it out like two grownups, and that was what mattered.

 

All told, both Kurt and Blaine had weathered the vagaries of celebrity coupledom amazingly well.  Kim had been with them for their first round of interviews immediately following Blaine’s big press release, and though Kurt had felt terrible that her win had been overshadowed by their coming out as a couple, she hadn’t really minded.  The show had turned out to be the fun sort of work, and she’d gained wonderful friends out of the deal.  Supporting them as they navigated some particularly treacherous publicity waters was the least she could do.    

 

She’d been so proud of them for their strength and kindness in the face of invasive questions from the media and an outpouring of interest from fans and detractors alike.  It had been no hardship at all to tell people how wonderful they were, both together and separately, and to play a small part in shaping the public narrative of their love.

 

In private, she and Grant had helped as much as they could, answering questions from both Kurt and Blaine about how to manage the sudden interest in them and their relationship.  And in return, she got to watch them grow into the sort of couple that the pressures of fame couldn’t touch.  They made time for each other, even as Kurt booked more choreography gigs and Blaine toured in support of his new album, which was filled with the love songs Kurt had inspired.  And they stayed connected to their family and friends – hence the pool party populated by some of her favorite people.

 

As the party wore on, Kim coaxed Molly and Jake out of the pool in favor of ice cream and lawn games with the “big kids.”  Santana was swinging Jake around while he giggled, and Molly had convinced Finn to let her ride on his shoulders while he tossed a frisbee with Mike, so Kim took the opportunity to slip inside the house for a moment.  Blaine and Kurt were nowhere to be seen.

 

Kim followed the soft sound of humming into the living room, where she found them swaying slowly together.  Kurt led Blaine into a turn, and as he came back into Kurt’s arms, Blaine switched from humming to singing.  

 

It was a song Kim knew well, her favorite from Blaine’s album.  He’d written it about the little things that made the work of love so worthwhile.  As someone in a long relationship, she had resonated strongly with the sentiment, and it had made her more confident than ever that her two favorite boys were in it for the long haul.  Watching them now, wrapped up in one another, she could only smile.  Love was a beautiful thing.

 

Being who she was, though, she couldn’t help but interrupt their sweet little moment by turning Blaine’s song into a sing-along as she burrowed into the scant space between them.

 

“Hi,” she said, leaning back against Blaine and smiling up at Kurt.  “Pardon the interruption.”

 

“But of course,” Kurt said drily.  

 

“So I know you denied it earlier,” Kim said, watching Kurt closely, “but I really think I’m missing something.”

 

“Doesn’t miss a beat, this one,” Blaine murmured from behind her, and Kurt snorted.

 

“Too nosy for her own good, you mean,” he said.

 

“You love me,” Kim replied.  She pinched his cheek and grinned, then stepped back so she could look at both of them.  “But seriously, time to spill.”

 

“Well…” Blaine began, tucking in next to Kurt again.  He blushed and looked down, which was both adorable and one of his major tells.

 

“Blaine!”  Kurt looked both scandalized and amused.  “You’re a terrible secret keeper.”

 

“I knew it!”  Kim said, pointing between them.  

 

“Knew what, exactly?”  Kurt said, shooting her a pointed look.

 

“Well, something!”  She threw up her hands.  “Just tell me.  You know it’ll be easier.”

 

“She has a point,” Blaine said, and Kurt rolled his eyes.  

 

“Fine.  But no telling anyone but Grant.  Definitely not the kids.  Not yet, anyway,” Kurt said.

 

“I can’t tell anyone if you don’t tell me what you’re talking about, you goober,” Kim said.  She was tempted to roll her eyes right back at him.

 

“We need you to reserve New Year’s Eve for us,” Kurt said.  He was going for nonchalant, but Kim noticed the way he gripped Blaine’s hand more tightly at his side.  

 

“Because?”  Kim prompted.  It was like pulling teeth.

 

“Because we want to start the new year off right,” Blaine said quietly.  He had turned toward Kurt and was smiling at him like he was the eighth wonder of the world.  When Kurt smiled back at him just as sweetly, Kim knew.

 

“You two idiots are finally getting married, aren’t you?”  She said, but it was barely a question.  She wiped away the tears that had come out of nowhere and rushed back up to hug them again.  “Oh I hate you so much for not telling me.  This is the best news!”

 

“It seemed like the right time,” Kurt said, once Kim had released him.  His eyes were wet too, but he was smiling.

 

“We want to do something intimate, up here under the stars.  We can throw a big party later.”  Blaine said.  “You’ll come, right?”

 

“Like you could keep me away!”  Kim said, grinning stupidly as she watched them hold one another’s hands.  “I’m so happy for you both.  I’d hoped you’d get here eventually.”

 

“These things take time,” Kurt demurred, and Blaine laughed.

 

“I would have married you two years ago, and you know it,” he said.

  

“And to reach for another cliche,” Kurt countered, “good things come to those who wait.”

  

“The best things,” Blaine said, all sweetness.  “And it turns out taking our time was a pretty great idea in the end.”

  

“You’ve had a busy couple of years,” Kim agreed.  

  

“A wonderful couple of years,” Blaine said, and Kurt grinned.

  

“Ugh, you two are disgusting.  I see how it’s going to be,” Kim said, and then she hugged them again.  “I love you both, and my engagement gift to you is to leave you in here alone for a while while I go distract your guests.  You’re welcome in advance.”

  

“Actually,” Kurt said, snagging her hand before she could get very far.  “Before you go anywhere, there’s something else.”

  

“You didn’t adopt a spur-of-the-moment adorable Italian baby while you were gone, did you?” Kim asked.  “Because I can only handle so many life transitions at once!”

  

They all laughed, which had mostly been her aim.  There was also a small part of her that wanted to be extra sure - she wouldn’t put it past them to go all in once they decided to move forward.

  

“No.  God, no,” Kurt said.  “But we do have a bit of a project we could use your help with.”

  

“Absolutely,” Blaine added, picking up the thread of conversation.  “You and Grant are still pretty directly involved in running his foundation, right?”

  

“Yep.  We’re working on plans for the big annual fundraiser now,” Kim confirmed.  “How on earth does that relate to a wedding?”

  

“It doesn’t,” Blaine said, and he and Kurt shared a smile.  “But it relates directly to the joint project - well, the _other_ joint project - we’re working on.”

  

“Which is?”  Kim asked.  They were being the opposite of forthcoming right now, and it was making her a little nuts.

  

“The details are still really up in the air,” Kurt cautioned, “But we’re developing a foundation that will help youth interested in the arts.”

  

“Kids like us, specifically,” Blaine said.  “GLBTQ kids who might not have the kind of support in their lives that would allow them to follow their dreams otherwise.”

 

“That’s amazing, you guys!”  Kim said, noting the way Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine supportively.  She’d learned enough about Blaine’s upbringing over the years to realize how close this cause was to his heart.  

  

“We think it’ll be pretty good,” Blaine said modestly, but Kurt interrupted.

 

“She’s right; it’s an amazing idea.  Your best yet.  And with the help of our friends –” Kurt looked at Kim, who nodded, – “it’s going to be incredibly successful.”

 

“How could it not be, with the two of you behind it?”  Kim asked, mostly rhetorically.  She knew anything they threw their full weight behind was bound to thrive.  Just like their marriage would.  And speaking of…  “Not to change the subject from doing awesome things for others, but can we go back to this whole ‘you two finally getting hitched’ thing?”

 

“I suppose,” Kurt said, smiling.

  

“All joking aside - which I know is rare for me - you know I’ll do whatever you need to make this the most awesome secret wedding ever, right?  Just ask.  Or don’t ask, because you know I’m going to do it anyway.”  Kim gave them both another big hug followed by kisses to their cheeks for good measure.  

  

“Of course,” Kurt said.  “We wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  

“Just let us tell the kids, maybe in a few weeks?”  Blaine asked.  “We’d like them to be involved.”

 

“And we’d love to see their reactions,” Kurt added, grinning.

  

“I don’t blame you,” Kim said.  She knew her kids, and they were both going to be thrilled.  Hell, she was giddy, and she was supposed to be the grownup.  

 

“You have to keep it a secret, Kim,” Kurt warned her knowingly.  “An actual secret.  Not an I-know-something-you-don’t-know secret.”

 

“Which is why we’re not telling Rachel or Finn,” Blaine said.  

  

“Ooooh, not even family?  I feel special,” Kim said.

 

“You are,” Kurt confirmed.  “Now go away like you promised.  I’m not done dancing with my fiancé.”  

  

They both blushed and grinned at that, already falling back into one another’s arms.  Kim took her leave as requested, but turned around for one last look before she turned the corner into the kitchen.  

 

Blaine was humming again, while Kurt led the dance.  A rumba, perhaps.  A dance of love, regardless.  Their eyes were closed, and they were perfectly in tune.  Kim pressed a kiss to her fingertips and blew it in their direction, knowing they wouldn’t see it.  

  

Kurt and Blaine were some of the very best men she knew.  She couldn’t wait to celebrate them and their love - at the best damn wedding ever.  It was just as well that they were busy being disgustingly in love.  Because even if they swore they didn’t want the fuss, she had a top secret wedding party to plan.    


End file.
